Endless chest of Jate stories
by BlueDream1
Summary: A place for Jate oneshots...fluff, angst, love...there will be all of it. Basically, fluffy or angsty stories to brighten up your day ;
1. Chapter 1

Author´s note…This was written as a dyojs for LF. It´s basically all fluff – I´m in the fluff mood lately – probably a defensive mechanism against all the seriousness saw in flashforwards. Hope you´ll like it.

p.s. I still haven't decided, but I might continued adding small one shots like this in this thread – you know…so that I don't have to start a new thread every time I write something. So…if you see this updated, it isnt a sequel, but another one shot. ;)

Actually, I just decided – it will be exactly that. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

_**Drifting to sleep**_

˝Hey...How is she? ˝whispered Jack quietly as he kneeled down next to Kate, who was sitting on the couch, their 3-year-old lying in her lap.

˝The same. ˝Kate whispered back, gently caressing the girl´s hair and removing curly light brown curls from her forehead, in effort to make her feel cooler. ˝The fever's still there and she didn´t eat anything apart from few spoons of soup that I managed to sneak into her mouth. ˝she said, leaning down and caringly kissing the top of girl´s head. ˝She calmed down, though. ˝she added, pointing her head at her daughter, who was sucking at her thumb quietly; staring absently somewhere in front of herself.

Jack leaned forward, his hand softly reaching for Sammy´s forehead. ˝She´s still burning. ˝he said, and his eyes met hers. She could see the pain in them. She knew he hated when something like this would happen. She hated it too. _As a parent, they wanted the best for their child and there was no worse thing than seeing her hurt; especially if the child was young and couldn't understand while her parents, who, in her eyes, were supposed to know how to fix everything, couldn't make her feel better. And Kate knew that it pained him even more being a doctor and not being able to help his own daughter._

˝Yeah, she is. ˝Kate said, looking tenderly at her daughter. ˝Although…I think the fever is a bit smaller than it was half an hour ago. ˝she added, throwing a small comforting smile at Jack.

Jack smiled too. He knew she guessed what he had been thinking of. He loved that at her. That she knew to guess his thoughts without him needing to voice them. It was kind of special ability that the two of them shared. They had been feeling it before too; but it grew only bigger once they´ve become a couple; and especially since they´ve been blessed with a child. He felt like he didn't only know her character, her personality; but her soul too_. Her core._ And he knew she was feeling the same.

˝Okay. I´ll bring some wet cloth and you try to lay her down, so I can apply it, okay? ˝he said, getting up.

˝Okay. ˝said Kate, nodding. She reached to stand up, but suddenly she felt dizzy, her head exploding with sudden warmth.

˝Whoa, whoa…˝Jack said, reaching forward to steady her. His hands easily found her shoulders and he applied a small pressure, helping her sit down again. ˝You okay? ˝he said, looking at her worryingly.

˝Yeah, I just felt dizzy for a moment. ˝she said, rubbing her forehead. ˝I´m okay now. ˝she rushed, not wanting him to push the discussion further.

˝You don't look okay. ˝Jack said, kneeling down again.

˝Wow, you really know how to make a girl feel special, Shephard. ˝she teased, small smile appearing on her lips.

Jack laughed. ˝You know I didn't mean it like that, Kate. ˝he said, grinning widely at her.

˝Yeah, I know. ˝she whispered back, blushing slightly.

Jack looked at her, stunned for a moment. _She was beautiful. He loved the way her eyes would shine whenever she looked at him or at their daughter; and the way her lips would reflexively spread into small smile; often barely noticeable, but still visible enough to tell him everything he needed to know: that she was happy. _

He was brought back to reality as he saw her eyes closing a bit, like she was fighting the instinct to fall asleep.

˝Kate? ˝he said, straightening up. ˝Are you okay? ˝

Kate forced herself to open her eyes. She was starting to feel really strange: her head suddenly felt heavy and her body limp.

˝It´s nothing, really. ˝she rushed. ˝I guess I´m a bit tired, that´s all. ˝she said, trying to make her voice sound sincere.

But Jack wouldn't fall for it. Despite her protests, he brought his hand to her face and gently pressed his palm against her forehead, feeling relieving moan involuntary escaping her mouth as his cold skin met with the warmness of her forehead.

˝You´re burning up, too. ˝he said quietly, as he gently removed few locks from the front of her head. He bent down and kissed her forehead; maintaining his lips there for a moment like he wanted to soothe her heating skin.

˝Okay, let´s go. ˝he said determinately as he reached down to take Sammy from her arms.

˝Where are we going? ˝asked Kate, handing him over the toddler. She watched him confusingly as he placed the girl on his hip; her little head leaning down immediately on his shoulder; then reached out for her.

˝_We_…are not going anywhere. ˝Jack said, taking her hands and pulling her up. ˝But _you_ are going to lay down a bit. ˝he said, moving her in front of him and gently pushing her forwards.

˝Jaaack…˝ groaned Kate, but Jack wouldn't take none of it.

˝The question is not even open for discussion. ˝he said firmly, guiding her into the room.

Once they got there, he quietly helped her climb into the tall hatch bed, covering her with the blanket. ˝There. I´m gonna take Sammy in the living room and try to make her to drink something; and you stay here, okay? ˝he said, tucking her in gently.

˝Whatever you say, doctor. ˝said Kate smiling, knowing that arguing about it with doctor wouldn't take her anywhere.

Jack leaned Sammy down so Kate could kiss her; and then leaned himself too, capturing her lips in one brief, but tender kiss. ˝Try to get some sleep, okay? ˝he said tenderly, straightening up.

˝´k. ˝replied Kate quietly.

Jack kissed her forehead one last time; then got up and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

˝So…what are we going to do? ˝Jack said, managing his daughter with one hand and trying to make a cup of tea with another. He poured the water in the cup, adding a couple of guava leaves and two spoons of sugar; then reached out to the cupboard and took a bowl of home-made syrup that Sun created out of her plants. He had a hard time doing all of it with one hand, and Sammy wasn't making things any easier while she was trying to push his hand away from the medicines.

˝Sammy not wanting that. ˝she protested, shaking her little head.

˝Sammy doesn't want what? ˝Jack asked, moving her hand away and trying to stop her from spilling it out.

˝The yucky thing. ˝she said, pointing to the syrup.

˝Awww…it´s not yucky. ˝Jack said, finally finishing. Sammy raised her head from his shoulder and gave him a look; the one that reminded him so much of Kate when she would try to tell him to cut with the crap. ˝Okay, it is yucky. ˝he surrendered, grinning. ˝But…˝he said, opening the cupboard and taking the purple spoon. ˝…not when you have… the magic spoon. ˝he said, his eyes going wide to show her that he wasn't joking.

˝Magic spoo? ˝Sammy asked skeptically, but her eyes still flickering with interest.

˝Yep. ˝said Jack, taking the cup and heading into the living room. He eased himself down on the couch; then placed is daughter in his lap, turning her so she was facing him. ˝You see…˝he said, taking some of the syrup with the spoon. ˝this spoon is magical because…one sip out of it and…you´ll immediately feel better. ˝he finished.

˝Pwomise? ˝Sammy asked, her eyes growing wide.

˝I promise. ˝Jack assured her. ˝Plus, you get a bedtime story. Aaaand…you get to choose which one! ˝he added, knowing exactly how to win her.

He saw the smile on her face and he knew he won this round. ˝So…are we gonna do it? ˝he asked enthusiastically. Sammy nodded. ˝Okay…here we go. ˝Jack said, reaching out with the spoon. The girl watched his every move intensively, but as the spoon came nearer to her mouth, she instinctively closed her eyes and mouth. ˝Uhm…Sammy, sweetie…I´m afraid that, for this to work, we´re gonna need your mouth open. ˝Jack explained teasingly, smiling.

Sammy opened her eyes and smiled a bit, blushing slightly. ˝Sowwy, daddy. ˝she said, still smiling. She rubbed her eyes tiredly; then obediently opened her mouth. Jack kissed her on the cheek; then poured in the syrup in her mouth, waiting as she licked the spoon clean.

The girl grimaced a bit, but swallowed it anyway.

˝See…it wasn't that bad. ˝smiled Jack, shifting a bit so he could make himself more comfortable. ˝Now…to make the yucky taste go away…I have some…guava tea! ˝he said, taking the cup off the nearby table. ˝Extra sweet! ˝he added, knowing how much the girl loved sweet. Usually, he and Kate would let her take only one piece of sugar; but he decided to make an exception this time, considering she was sick.

For this he didn't have to plead her, because the girl was crazy for guava tea. _Wonder who she got that from?_ –he thought, smiling slightly as he remembered the day he brought the seeds to Kate and the smile she shot him. He gently leaned the cup, allowing her to drink it. He waited for a few minutes until she drank it all; then wiped her mouth happily with the back of her sleeve. Jack took the cup and placed it carefully on the table; then sat back down, taking the blanket and unwrapping it.

˝Okay…story time. ˝he said, laying down and taking the girl with him, covering the both. ˝Soooo…which one do you want? ˝he asked, secretly praying that it wasn't the one he thought was coming.

˝Beauty and the Beeast˝ Sammy squealed excitedly.

Jack sighed, mutely cursing himself for telling her she got to choose. She´s been asking them to tell her this story over and over again, ever since Kate so wisely told it to her the first time. _Of course, it was easier to Kate to deal with it, ´cause she managed to get out of it pretty soon, considering that Sammy was real ´daddy´s girl´, at least when tucking in was in question_. Jack still didn't know it for sure, but he had his doubts that Kate actually somehow managed to convince their girl that daddy was better at telling stories, because Sammy now refused to go to sleep until he told her at least one story.

˝Sammy, …wouldn't you rather want to hear the one about…? ˝he started, trying his last chance.

˝Daddy, shut up and tell. ˝the girl cut him off, lifting up to smile at him adorably; then placing her head down at his chest.

˝Fine…˝Jack sighed, but smiling. Clearing up his throat, he started: ˝_Once upon a time, in the city far far away, lived a rich merchant with his daughters, one of whom was called… Beauty, because she was the prettiest girl in the town. _˝he started, knowing the text by memory by now. ˝…_Just like you are._ ˝he added, his finger poking her gently on the nose; but taking opportunity to check her forehead at the same time. _Good, she wasn't so much feverish anymore. _–he thought; smiling for a moment; then resuming with the story telling. ˝_But unfortunately, the rich merchant lost his all of his wealth, and he and his daughters had to move to live in the countryside. One day, after having just heard that one of his ships had returned, the merchant decided to go to the city, and asked each of his daughters what they would want for him to bring them. His oldest daughter said she wanted him to bring her some jewelry; his middle one – dressed; but the youngest one, who was the modest of them all, asked only for…a rose._ ˝he whispered the last part. He moved his head sideways slightly, looking at his daughter. The girl was slowly falling into sleep, playing absently with the edge of her dad´s shirt; her eyes closing occasionally. Jack felt his eyes starting to close too and he prayed that she would fall asleep soon; because he was also very tired and he wasn't sure how long he could stay awake anymore.

˝_Unfortunately…the big storm started…and the old merchant got himself lost in the daaark, scary forest…_˝he continued; his voice a bit quieter. _˝…The storm was getting bigger and biggeee…r._ ˝he yawned, checking down on the girl again. She was having her eyes closed now, and he could tell by her breathing that she was slowly going into sleep; maybe even already sleeping; but…he didn't want to take a risk. He knew he had to continue, at least for a bit more, because it knew to happen to him a lot to find himself in the situation that he stopped telling the story too soon; and then had to start it all from the beginning, because Sammy would claim that he cheated. So…he yawned once again and resumed the telling. ˝_and the merchant found himself a shelter in a big palace, not aware that it was the caste of…the Beast._ ˝he said, almost whispering. He paused for a while to see if he would get any reaction from Sammy; and found himself grinning widely as he established that she indeed was already in a deep sleep. He slowly reached his arm backwards, turning off the light; then, still as slowly as possible, returned it in front. He checked her forehead again and smiled quietly at the realization that she didn't have a fever anymore. He pulled up the blanket a little bit; then wrapped his arm gently on his daughter's back. He placed one small kiss on the top of her head; then brought his head down to pillow again, closing his eyes. ˝_And they lived happily ever after._ ˝he mumbled quietly before drifting to sleep…

_**Epilogue…**_

Kate got up and made her way slowly out of the room. She wasn't feeling dizzy anymore, although she still was quite sleepy. She reached the living room on her tiptoes and stopped herself at the doorway, enchanted by the scene in front. Sammy was lying on Jack; her soft curly locks spread widely across Jack´s chest; her hand clutching her daddy´s shirt. Kate moved in a bit closer. She could see Jack was sleeping too; one of his arms wrapped up tightly around the little girl; the other resting on his forehead. They both had their mouths semi-open and both drooled a bit. Kate giggled, bringing her hands to her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. She slowly took off her shoes; and approached the sleeping pair on the couch; pausing for a while to just look at them. They looked so adorable together. She slowly bent to touch Sammy´s forehead and let out a relieved smile as she saw that the girl wasn't warm anymore. Seems like Daddy managed to find the right cure. – she whispered quietly, smiling at the two of them. Slowly, she went to the lower side of the couch and lifted the blanket a little, sneaking in on the couch too. She felt Jack moving slightly and she looked up at him, seeing that he was looking at her with utterly confused and sleepy expression on his face. ˝Go back to sleep. ˝she said to him quietly; smiling as she watched him nodding confusingly and then lowering himself on the pillow again. Kate lowered herself too; putting one hand under the pillow; and throwing the other one across Jack´s leg. She closed her eyes, and, listening to the sound of her daughter´s peaceful breathing, found herself drifting to sleep again too…


	2. Chapter 2

**Author´s note:**

Thank you all for the kind reviews. hug Glad you liked it. And…to everyone who have been wondering…I imagined this as a series of one-shots, but not connected one with another. So…it isn't _one_ WIP story, but _series_ of one-shots, or…for all of you who visit LF too – dyojs that I posted there. ;)

_**Full House**_

˝DADDDYYYYY!˝ Jack was startled from his work as he heard the squeaking voice of his little one, screaming her lungs out. He was just about to get up when he saw her little figure emerging from the kids´ room and running towards him, clutching her fluffy pink blanket tightly in her fist. 

˝D-d-daaaadyyy! ˝Nina repeated, stopping in front of him and raising her little hands for him to pick her up. Jack looked down at his daughter. _Nina was 2, 5 years old and already a spitting image of her mummy, which caused quite big difficulties for Jack to deny her anything; because every time she looked at him with those beautiful shining emerald eyes, he would find himself drowning in them and, step by step, all the boundaries he was determined to go with through, would start melting down, one by one. _This time was no exception.

He reached out his hands and gently picked her up, placing her on his lap. ˝Hey…˝he said soothingly, kissing the top of her head. ˝Hey…what happened? ˝he repeated, gently removing the hand she had pressed on her eyes.

˝T-th-thewe w-was a s-snake. ˝Nina replied, her eyes still sparkling from unceasing tears that were traveling all the way down her face, drenching the baby blanket that has been her inseparable companion ever since she was a baby.

Jack sighed, relieved. He was afraid that she hurt herself somewhere, but it was obvious now that it was just another product of child´s imagination. However, he knew that, in his daughter´s eyes, that snake was more than reality and he would have to calm her down the best he could.

˝Where was the snake, sweetie? ˝he asked, playing with her little fingers. Nina shifted a bit, snuggling in her daddy´s lap.

˝I-it w-was….in…in the st-stowy. A-and…th-the s-snake w-was a witch astually and…and it t-tuwned into a pwetty l-lady and…and the Pwince h-had a fight with the Pwincess, s-so he tuwned to the witch and…and the Pwincess w-was left a-alone and...and the Pwince and the Witch h-had…a b-bwaby. ˝the little one finished, her little body shaking with sobs.

Jack had to bite his tongue not to burst into laugh._ She was adorable. Ever since he became a farther, he´s been amazed with kids´ ability to simplify the world around them. There wasn't grey for them – either it was black or white. They divided people in good or bad: good ones were called Prince and Princes; and the bad one was called Witch. As simple as that_. However, he knew he couldn't let himself laugh at this, because, in his daughter's world, Price-being-with-Witch disarranged the balance of the world as easily as night-turning-to-day and day-turning-to-night would do in the real world.

˝So…the Prince finished with the Witch, huh? ˝he asked gently, swallowing down the giggle. Nina nodded sadly, rubbing her eyes with her hands. ˝But, Princes always finish with Princesses, huni. ˝he said, trying to calm her down. He could feel her little heart beating rapidly.

˝In t-this o-one they d-don't. ˝she replied, her voice intervallic because of sobbing. 

˝Oookay…then can you tell Daddy where did you hear that one? ˝

˝A-Ali told me! ˝the girl replied, bursting into tears again.

Jack sighed. _He should have known_.

˝Aliiiii? ˝he called out, wiping away the tears from Nina´s cheeks.

˝Yes, Uncle Jack? ˝replied a small boy, appearing on the doorway. He was looking straight at Jack´s eyes, angelic smile spreading across his face. _If you saw him like that, what with his straight blonde hair____what with charming dimples_ _you would think he was an angel. But Jack knew better. Of course, he wasn't evil or anything, but…just a little too lively and snarky for Jack´s liking._ ˝Of course, Kate was finding that adorable, but…Kate wasn't stuck with 4 children to baby-sit house right now. ˝Jack thought sarcastically.

˝Did you tell Nina a certain story? ˝Jack asked, feeling the little one calming down a bit in his arms.

˝Yes I did. ˝replied Ali, nodding proudly.

˝And can I know why? ˝Jack continued.

˝Because she asked me to. ˝he said simply.

˝She _asked _you to tell her the story about snakes being witches and turning into pretty ladies to fool the Prince and separate him from his Princess? ˝Jack asked incredulously.

˝No. She asked me to tell her a bedtime story with Prince and Princess in it. The rest of it was all my idea. ˝the boy finished, grinning proudly.

Nina started sobbing again.

˝Hey…it´s okay, sweetie, don't cry. ˝Jack tried, kissing her head. He looked at Ali, who was standing there with the blank expression on his face. ˝And you couldn't Jack go with the classic story about the Prince and the Princess living happily ever after? ˝he sighed, knowing that the boy was probably thinking about how strange girls were.

Ali just shrugged his shoulders. ˝That would have been too…_boring_. ˝he said simply.

Jack sighed again. _He had a girl crying frantically in his arms, and a boy who obviously had a hard time understanding why would anyone got so upset over a simple fairytale._

˝Just…just go play with Lucas. ˝he mumbled finally, lifting his daughter up so he could position her better. ˝Hey…Daddy will tell you another story, okay? ˝he said, trying to stop her crying. He turned around, only to find Alex still standing there. ˝Why didn't you leave to Lucas? ˝he asked, confused.

˝I can´t. ˝

˝Uhm…why not? ˝Jack asked again, rubbing his head in confusion.

˝Because you told me not to. ˝

Jack looked at him, more confused than ever.

˝Before, when Lucas and I were ransacking the house, you separated us and told him to go to his room and me to stay in Nina´s room and to not cross the door line. So, _technically_, I cant go to Lucas because I cant cross this doorway. ˝Alex finished smartly, all in one breath. 

Jack was left speechless. ˝Okay, breathe, just breathe.˝ he told himself. The boy´s intelligence has always amazed him. _He was like a perfect combination of his parents: from his mother____he inherited that unusual, sometimes quite scary, calmness____and the snark____he got from his dad_. Jack chuckled. If _he _was having a hard time dealing with this kid, he could only imagine how Sawyerwas doing in dealing with his own son. Especially when he wore that Juliet´s _know-it-all _attitude.  
˝Okay, you won. ˝Jack said. ˝You can cross that line and you can go to Lucas. ˝he added, still trying to calm down Nina. He saw the grin crossing the boy´s face and he had to admit to himself that the boy was good in getting what he wanted.

He turned to comfort his daughter; when he felt someone´s arms hugging him.

˝Tnx, Uncle Jack. ˝said Ali, kissing him on the cheek. ˝I know I´m not an easy kid to deal with, but…that makes me even more loveable, says my dad. ˝he finished, kissed Nina´s cheek too and, before Jack could reply anything, disappeared behind the living room´s door.

Jack smiled. The kid was really bright. And quite charming, he had to give it to him. _But, right now Jack had more important things to do. A certain princess was waiting for his story_.

˝Oookay. ˝he said, lifting the girl and himself up. ˝Let´s read that story. ˝

He placed Nina on his hip, picked up the blanket; and headed towards her room. They have just reached the door when he heard the floor cracking and soon enough, saw two little heads peeking from the boys room.

˝Daddy? ˝ asked brown-head boy carefully.

˝Yes, Lucas? ˝

˝Can we watch _˝Brother Bear˝ _again? ˝

Jack turned around and found himself faced with two most angelic faces imaginable – the two boys smiling innocently at him. He smiled. _They were adorable._

˝Okay, you can. ˝he said. ˝But, only first 30 minutes – and then to bed, okay? ˝

˝Okay. ˝Lucas and Alex replied together; then closed the door behind them.

_Half an hour later…_

˝And then the Prince discovered Witch's real face and he left her; going back to ask the Princess his forgiveness. The Princess forgave him and they returned back to his castle. And the whole Kingdom was happy again. ˝he finished, gently caressing the girl´s hair. ˝Okay, so…was that good enough? ˝he asked, trying to stop the yawn. He was very tired and barely keeping his eyes opened; especially since Nina has been caressing his cheek with her right hand, while her left one was in her mouth, sucking the thumb. _He loved tiny moments like these, when he would just cuddle with his kids, enjoying their company and forgetting on all the troubles in the world. They had that ritual on Sundays´ morning, when all of them would just lay in his and Kate´s bed, have breakfast in bed and talk about everything and nothing._ _Those were his favorite parts of the week._

Nina caressed his stubble slightly, her eyes closing slowly. She was drifting to sleep.

˝Daddy? ˝she said quietly, struggling with her body to stay awake.

˝Yes, sweetie? ˝he asked, placing little smooch on her hand.

˝Was thewe happily evew aftew? ˝

Jack smiled. She really was adorable. He leaned down, kissing her gently.

˝Yes, Nina, there was Happily ever after. Now go to sleep, okay? ˝

The girl nodded and Jack wished her goodnight, kissing her once again. He turned on the dolphins´ lamp that gave blurred light, but enough to keep the room illuminated enough to give it soothing atmosphere.

˝Daddy? ˝Nina called again.

˝Yes? ˝Jack asked, leaning his head backwards on a cold wall. _He really was tired. And he had to check on the boys once again and feed Gabriel._ ˝Please don't let her ask for another story.˝ he prayed silently, looking up.

˝I wow you. ˝the girl said quietly; then fell asleep.

Jack smiled, touched and relieved at the same time.

˝I love you too. ˝he replied; glancing one last look at the sleeping angel in the bed.

_2 hours later…._

Door handle clicking could be heard and the door opened slowly. A hooded figure entered the house, closed the door and placed the keys on the nearby locker. She took off the coat; her chocolate hair cascading her shoulders; and quietly made her way towards the living room. She had to force herself to stifle a giggle at the site in front of her.

The living room was in mess. Toys were scattered across the room, baby clothes was hanging from the furniture, and she was pretty sure she saw one pacifier lying under the armchair. Jack was sitting on the couch, his legs spread, his arms relaxed; fast asleep. Baby gauze was over his shoulder. His head was thrown backwards, mouth half-opened and he was drooling a little from the corner of his mouth.

Kate smiled, looking at him adoringly. She took off her shoes, crossed the room and leaned over him, placing her fists on both sides of his hips and supporting herself on them. Then she leaned in, until her face was only inches from his…and kissed him gently, like tasting him for the first time. His lips were warm under hers, as she kissed his slowly, gently nibbling on his lower lip. She smiled at she felt his forehead frowning, and she knew he was waking up. She kissed him once more; then backed away a little, knowing his habit of startling abruptly from his sleep.

Jack opened his eyes, confusingly looking around himself.

˝Hey, Sleepy. ˝Kate said, raising her hand and gently caressing his cheek. She leaned in and kissed him once again.

˝H-hey. ˝Jack replied sleepily, returning the kiss. ˝W-when did you come home? ˝he asked, not having the slightest idea what time it was.

˝Few minutes ago. ˝she replied, placing herself in his lap. ˝You were drooling. ˝she said, teasing.

˝I wasnt _drooling_. ˝Jack said back defensively, still struggling with keeping his eyes opened.

˝Sure you weren´t. ˝she said, pulling out their son´s baby gauze of his shoulder. ˝That´s why you have drool right..._here_. ˝she giggled, gently wiping away the corner of his mouth.

Jack felt himself blushing.

˝How is Claire? ˝he asked, quickly changing the subject. _She and Charlie had a fight; and Claire asked Kate if she could come over. Kate of course accepted, and __**that **__was how he got stuck all alone with a baby, a toddler, and two little devils._

˝Fine. She was a mess at first; but then Charlie returned with a serenade and they made up. ˝Kate replied, grinning at the memory.

˝So, nothing serious, right? ˝Jack asked._ He loved Charlie, but he couldn't stand seeing his little sister suffering._

˝Nothing serious. ˝Kate replied. ˝So….˝she said, looking around the room. ˝…seems you´ve been pretty busy too. ˝

˝Oh, don't even ask. ˝Jack sighed, leaning his head backwards.

˝That bad, huh? ˝Kate asked, nibbling on his neck.

˝Ali and Lucas ransacked the house, Gabe was having cramps, Nina freaked out over a story, which lead me having to invent another one that _had _Happily-evew-aftew…˝

˝Wow, seems like productive day. ˝Kate giggled, kissing him forcefully and then backing away.

˝And Ali….well, Ali….˝Jack paused, struggling to find the words.

_˝Snarkiness_? ˝Kate offered to help.

Jack nodded. _˝AND _calmness. ˝he added.

˝See, and _what _have I been telling you when we were on the island? ˝Kate started. ˝That it was freaking impossible to be _that _calm! But noooo, you didn't want to believe me – saying I was jealous and all. ˝she finished, teasing him. ˝And now Juliet´s son is the same as his mother. And _you _had to_ baby-sit _him. Call it karma. ˝she smiled victoriously.

˝Awww, you´re so smart. ˝Jack said sarcastically; then pulled her down on him; his lips finding hers, his arms wrapping around her back, his tongue begging for entrance. But their little make-out session was interrupted by the sound of baby-crying coming from the babyphone.

˝Oh, no. ˝Jack sighed as Kate backed away from him. He reached up and kissed her once more, getting up; but Kate pushed him back down.

˝I´ll do it. ˝she said gently, taking the gauze from his shoulder. ˝You lie down and get some sleep. ˝she added, leaning down and kissing him once again; then got up.

˝Tnx, babe. ˝Jack said sincerely, leaning backwards again. ˝Oh and, Kate? ˝he called, looking up at her.

˝Yes? ˝she replied, stopping in the doorway.

˝I wow you. ˝he said, smiling.

˝I wow you too. ˝she replied, wide grin crossing her face. 


	3. Chapter 3

Tnx for all the comments. hugs Sorry for not posting anything in a while – i´m in the middle of exams, so I don't have much time for writing.

This one was written as a birthday present for one girl at LF. Hope you´ll like it.

_**Sometimes…it´s as simple as that**_

˝Good morning, Mr. Shephard...Mrs. Shephard. ˝said an elder lady as she welcomed Jack and Kate into the small room that apparently served as an office. She was a little plumper lady, in her sixties, hair tied in a messy bun. But the first thing you would notice on her wasn't the hair white as snow, or the age wrinkles that left trace on her once smooth skin. No. The first thing you would notice on Mrs. Hoggins was her smile, the smile that knew to brighten every room.

She let the young couple in; then closed the door behind them and crossed the room slowly; finally placing herself on a chair behind the white desk.

˝Please, have a seat. ˝she offered, smiling.

˝Is…is everything okay? ˝asked Jack, a bit nervously, as he pushed the chair backwards.

Mrs Hoggins watched as he stepped aside to let Kate sit first, holding the back of the chair for her; and smiled.

˝Yeah, you said you wanted to see both of us. ˝added Kate, trying to hide the uneasiness of her voice.

˝Easy…we´ll get to that. ˝Mrs. Hoggins replied calmly. ˝Would you like something to drink? ˝she said, smiling. ˝Tea, coffee? ˝

˝No, thanks. ˝said Kate, twirling her fingers nervously. ˝I already had some. ˝

˝How about you, Mr. Shephard? ˝Mrs. Hoggins asked.

˝Thank, I had one too. ˝Jack replied back; he too nervous.

Mrs. Hoggins watched as the man gently placed his right hand on top of his wife's hands, giving them one soothing squeeze to help her calm down. She also didn't miss the small smile that crossed the woman's lips as she looked up at the man, or the small flicker in his eyes as he smiled back at the woman. _So, that´s what the boys meant._ – Mrs. Hoggins thought as the smile crossed her face too. She watched the young couple intertwining their fingers together, so that the man´s hand now rested calmly in the woman´s lap. Mrs. Hoggins smiled again. _She´s been doing this job for more than 30 years now, and it still delighted her to come upon this kind of couples. Seeing the way they treated each other, the way they smiled at each other, the way they acted around each other…it just made the world look like a better place. Proved that love…the true one…still existed._

She was startled from her thoughts as she became aware of the young couple staring nervously at her.

˝Okay, then…˝she started, leaning back in the chair. ˝The reason I called you here is…˝

˝What did Alex do? ˝asked Jack, sighing. Their son was an adorable little boy, very good at heart, but he was also very mischievous. He started walking when he was only 11 months old and hasn't stopped running around ever since. Jack knew to tease Kate a lot about that, saying that the boy got the restlessness from her side.

˝Alex didn't do anything. ˝Mrs. Hoggins replied calmly.

˝Dylan?! ˝Jack and Kate gasped at the same time. As a complete opposite to his twin brother, Dylan was much more like his dad, observing before saying, thinking things first rather than acting on impulse. Even as babies, the two of them differed a lot. When Jack and Kate would take them for a walk, in a double stroller, Alex would continuously kick around, taking off his shoes and throwing them on the ground; then doing it all over again – always with that toothless smile on his face that said: _You cannot stay mad on me, ´cause I´m adorable and you know it_. Dylan, on the other hand, would just lay peacefully in his stroller, observing the surroundings and taking in the noises, the shapes, the colors. Although much calmed than his brother, he too knew to drove his parents crazy by setting them in the words´ trap, reaching his goal and leaving them bewildered as to how in the world could they been tricked by a 6-year-old.

Mrs. Hoggins laughed out loud this time. ˝No, Dylan didn't do anything either. ˝she said, reassuring them.

Jack and Kate looked at each other. The day before they got a call asking them if they could stop by the principle's office after dropping the boys off, and as much as they tried to find out what was the reason for it, all they got is that they were expecting them Monday afternoon.

˝But…if they didn't do anything, then why…˝started Jack, but was cut off by Mrs. Hoggins

˝The kids had to write an essay few days ago. ˝she started. She got up from the chair and went to the white shelf behind the desk. ˝On the theme – _What is love?_ ˝she added, going through some files. Jack and Kate looked at each other again_. Where was she going with this and why the hell were they feeling like a couple of guilty teenagers waiting in front of principle´s office?!_

The elder lady finally found what she had been looking for and returned to the table, sitting down again.

˝Here is what Dylan wrote. ˝she said, offering the paper to Kate.

Kate looked at her strangely; then hesitantly took the paper. _What their boys could have written to make Jack and her having to come here?_

She looked down at the grumpy piece of paper. There was only one line written down. She started to read. Silence fell upon the room and, for a few minutes, the only thing that could be heard was the shallow breathing of three persons and the distant sounds of children laughing somewhere in the background. Kate felt tears starting to appear in her eyes as she got to the end of the line. She could feel Jack leaning above her shoulder and, by the way his breath shivered a couple of times, sensually caressing the back of her neck, she knew he read it too.

Kate looked up at Mrs. Hoggins then down at the paper again. There, in messy child´s handwriting; was written:

_LoVe iS…ThE wAy my DaD´s eyez shiNe wHen he loOks at Mummy._

˝And this is what Alex wrote. ˝Mrs. Hoggins added, offering the other paper; this time to Jack.

Jack somehow managed to lift his eyes from the messy handwriting in Kate´s hands; and took the paper from Mrs. Hoggins

˝Love is…the way Mummy´s…˝he started quietly, pausing a bit as a strong wave of emotions hit his heart when he read the rest of it. ˝…the way Mummy´s whole face smiles when she sees Daddy. ˝he finished, this time not able to suppress the edges of his eyes getting watery.

He looked up and saw Kate looking at him, smiling and blushing at the same time. He knew he had thought this more than hundreds of times, but she has truly never looked more beautiful than she looked right now. _Her curls were falling down her shoulders, framing her pink flushed cheeks; and her freckles have never been more visible than they were now. Her eyes were sparkling with newborn tears and she seemed like – radiating with something. Something special, something…something…_ - he struggled finding the words. And then he remembered_. The way Mummy´s whole face smiles_. Jack shook his head and smiled. _It was funny how kids could express in the simplest way what adults could spend days thinking about and still not find the right words._

Not able to resist, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips on hers. He paused for a while as he felt her lips stretching under his into a small, shy smile, the one she kept only for him. He smiled too and let the tip of his tongues brush her lower lip only for a brief moment; then kissed her once again. Placing one final open-mouthed kiss, he slowly backed away, giving her one slight peck before straightening in the chair again.

It seemed that only then that they had become aware of the presence of the elder lady in the room, and they both immediately turned pink.

˝Uhm…sorry for…_that_. ˝mumbled Jack, his eyes wandering all the corners of the room, avoiding looking in front of himself.

˝There´s nothing to be ashamed of. ˝said Mrs. Hoggins smiling. _She was beginning to like this couple more and more. _˝You two are clearly madly in love with each other…˝she said, and paused when both Jack and Kate blushed a bit more. ˝…and they boys feel it too. That´s why I called you here in the first place.˝ she said.

Jack and Kate finally looked up, looking at her questioningly.

˝I´ve been doing this job for many years and I´ve seen all kinds of couples. ˝she started. ˝I´ve seen the ones so absorbed in each other to neglect the kids, I´ve seen the ones that seemed so in love but knew it wouldn't last long, I´ve seen the divorced ones that always bickered, I´ve seen the divorced ones that seemed to get along better than when they were married…But, every once in a while, I see the couple for which you can tell, by seeing them for the first time, that they will get to grow old together. ˝she said, looking them straight in the eyes. ˝And you are one of that couple. ˝she finished, smiling at them.

Jack and Kate stood speechless for a while, not knowing what to say, and, even if they knew, not sure they words would be able to leave their mouths.

Mrs. Hoggins looked at them and smiled again. Then she looked at the clock. _It was almost the time to start the lessons._ She slowly got up and motioned at the time. Jack and Kate looked up, still astonished by what they had just experienced; finally getting the point.

˝Oh…we…we should better be going. ˝said Jack, getting up. Kate followed him too.

˝Yeah, sorry for taking your time. ˝she said, handshaking with Mrs. Hoggins

˝It´s been a pleasure. ˝said the teacher, smiling.

˝It´s been nice to meet you. ˝said Jack politely, offering her a hand.

˝The pleasure was all mine. ˝replied Mrs. Hoggins. ˝Dylan and Alex are very lucky boys to have parents like you. They are incredible boys, and clearly raised in a home full of love. ˝she added, smiling at the two of them.

˝We…uhm…thank you. ˝Kate finally managed to say.

Mrs. Hoggins smiled and opened the door for them.

˝Hope to see you soon. ˝she wished them.

Jack and Kate greeted her once again and turned to leave, when Kate remembered something.

˝Uhm…˝she said, turning around. ˝Could we…uhm…˝she started, her eyes drifting to the papers in teacher´s hand.

Mrs. Hoggins followed her gaze and smiled as she understood what she was asking.

˝Of course you can. ˝she replied back, offering her the papers.

˝Thanks. ˝Kate said, blushing.

The three of them headed towards the gate, when they passed by the playroom. Mrs. Hoggins stopped and opened the door.

˝Alex….Dylan…come and say goodbye to your parents. ˝she said, and the boys soon came running down and laughing.

Kate looked at them and suddenly all the emotions from reading their essays came upon her and she kneeled down, hugging each of them with one hand. She kissed Dylan first and then placed a big kiss on Alex´s cheek too; burying her head in their shoulders. The boys just looked at each other, confused.

˝Uhm…Mummy…˝started Dylan, looking strangely at his Mum.

Kate looked up. ˝What is it, sweetie? ˝

˝Uhm…there are…people here…watching. ˝the boy mumbled awkwardly.

˝Yeah, as in…our _friends_. ˝added Alex, his eyes pointing to the right.

Kate followed his gaze and her eyes fell on a bunch of kids that had their faces pressed against the glass, watching them and giggling excitedly.

˝Oh, sorry. ˝she mumbled, smiling; then got up and wiped her hands at the back of her jeans.

˝You guys go back in the playroom and I´ll try to make your mum cool again, okay? ˝said Jack jokingly as he pulled Kate towards him, placing his hands around her waist and planting a small kiss at the side of her neck. She smiled and blushed a bit, enjoying his tenderness.

The boys giggled and hugged them around their legs.

˝Bye, Mum. Bye, Dad. ˝they say and, taking Mrs. Hoggins hand, headed towards the playroom.

˝Come. ˝said Jack, kissing Kate gently once again and pulling out his car keys. ˝Let´s go. ˝

Kate smiled and turned, slipping her hand in his. He looked at her and smiled; then opened the door for her. ˝After you, Mrs. Shephard. ˝he said, smiling.

She looked up and smiled too. ˝Thank you very much, Mr. Shephard. ˝she said back, sliding through the door.

˝So….I was wandering…how about I skip work today and we…˝started Jack, whispering the rest into her ear. Kate giggled and blushed slightly, getting up on her toes and giving him one slow, passionate kiss.

˝Sound good to me. ˝she whispered and nibbled on his earlobe for a second before pulling away and slipping down in the front seat. Jack closed his eyes, savoring her scent for a moment; then closed the door behind her. _This day was getting better and better…_


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, guys!

Thank you all so much for the comments. hugs They really mean a lot. Now…I know I got you all used on the Jaby ones, but…this one won´t be one of them. It´s a little something I wrote few weeks ago and it´s a bit angsty. And it´s written more in the script format, because I think that it´s better option for angsty scenes. I hope you´ll like it nevertheless. I´ll come with more Jaby ones once my exams finish.

_**Hurting each other…**_

Season 3_...Kate and Sawyer returned to the beach, Jack came back two weeks later, with Juliet. He hasn't talked with Kate properly since the glass scene – every time she tried to talk with him, he would pushed her away or snapped at her. For things to be even worse, he´s been spending more and more time with Juliet, and she would shamelessly flirt with him, especially if Kate was around. _

It´s around noon. Kate is walking with Claire and Aaron, they´re heading towards the hatch.

Claire: Come on, Kate.

Kate: I´m telling you, Claire, there´s no point in it. –_sadly_- He won't talk to me.

Claire: You don't know that.

They come out onto the clearing and stop in their tracks as they see Jack in the middle of it, bending down to adjust the golf ball that is lying on the ground.

Claire: Hey, Jack!

Jack: -_lifting up_- Hey, Claire, what brings you h…-_he stops as he sees Kate, his forehead immediately frowning; coldly_- What´s she doing here? -_Kate´s heart sinks_-

Claire -_softly_-: Jack…

Jack -_cutting her off_- Don't. Just…

Kate´s about to say something…but then she hears a voice emerging from the bushes.

Juliet -_cheerfully, still not seeing Kate and Claire_-: Jaack, when you asked me to play it with you -_Kate shots him a look_-… you didn't exactly mention the distances I would gonna need to cross to get the ba…-_she stops, noticing Kate_- Oh…Kate, Claire, I didn't know you were here.

Claire -_looks at Kate, sees pain in her eyes; to Juliet, little colder than she intended to_- We just came here. -_turning to Jack_- Listen, Jack, why couldn't you just lis…

Jack -_raising his voice_- I SAID NO! -_Claire winces at his tone, he takes a deep breath, then adds more calmly_- Sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. -_he still didn't even once look at Kate_-

Claire -_sadly because the incapability of the two of them to work their problems_- It´s okay.

She looks at Kate, who is just standing there, looking at Jack, then at Juliet. _They were playing golf. __**He**__ was playing _**golf**_ with __**her**_

Claire -_tenderly tapping Kate on the shoulder_- Come on, huni, let´s go.

Jack watches Kate turning her back, suddenly he feels sorry for behaving like that...then he flashes to that scene of seeing her with him…with Sawyer…on the monitor….and he feels anger building inside him once again. Suddenly, he feels a strong urge to hurt her, hurt her like she´d hurt him. An idea pops up on his mind.

Jack: Wanna know why it went that far, Juliet? -_his eyes fixed on Kate to see her reaction_- You hooked it. -_Kate stops in her tracks_.- Try keeping your left arm straight. -_Kate turns around._-

---_**flashback**_---

Hurley: Ignore him, he's an idiot. -_she hits the target_- Crap!

Jack -_entering_-: You hooked it. Try keeping your left arm straight.

Kate: You giving _me_ tips?

Jack: Kate, I'm -- I'm a doctor.

---_**End flashback**_---

Jack -_by Kate´s reaction, he knows that she remembered it; he smirks, satisfied_-: Here, let me show you. -_he goes behind Juliet and wraps his arms around her, holding the gold club_.- You put your hand here...-_he leans in even more; he can feel Kate´s eyes on him_- …and then you squeeze it…-_his lips brush Juliet´s ear_-…like this.

Juliet -_enjoying the play_- Really? Interesting.

Jack -_tightening his grip around Juliet´s waist_- Yeah. Did I ever tell you my theory about golf? No? -_he pauses for a moment, throwing quick glance at Kate, he can see she´s furious, he grins at her, then turns his attention towards Juliet again_- You see, golf is accur…

But before he can finish, he feels someone´s hand slapping him hard on the face, he stumbles backwards, holding his hand on his cheek. He looks up and sees her storming off. He gets up. Sees Claire watching him.

Claire -_putting Aaron on her hip, coldly_- You´ve gone too far.

He throws her an angry glance; then storms up for Kate_. That was it. Who did she think she was for slapping him in front of everyone?!_

Juliet: Jac…

Jack –_angrily_-: Not now!

Kate is running through the jungle, branches scratching her face and arms, but she doesn't care. She feels so…frustrated. _How could have he done that to her?_! To turn their moment into…into to _her_. She could barely hold on tears anymore. She reaches the hatch door and slams then angrily behind her.

She storms in the room; Hurley and Charlie get up puzzled when they see in what state she is.

Kate: Go! I´m covering this shift!

Hurley –_confused_- Kate…what happened? You look…

Kate -_raising her voice_-: I don't wanna talk about it. Just go!

Charlie: But…

Kate –_screaming_- I SAID GET OUT! OUT!

Hurley and Charlie wince on her tone, but aren't exactly in the mood to argue with her in a state like that, so they pack their things and leave the hatch. Kate can hear them whispering silently as the make their way across the hall, she throws herself on the couch, she can't handle it anymore, _it was too much. It was…_Suddenly, she hears the hatch door slamming again, she wipes away the tears, standing up abruptly, angry for them coming back after she told them she wanted to be alone.

Kate-_angrily_-: I thought I told you two not to…-_she stops, seeing Jack entering the room furiously_- What´re you…

Jack -_heads towards her angrily_- You have no…no right to behave like that in front of the others!

Kate: I? I have no right to behave like that?! You…you ever since you got back, you´ve been avoiding me, ignoring me, snapping at me, and _I_ don't have right to…

Jack –_yelling_- YOU SLEPT WITH HIM! YOU MADE THIS ALL HAPPENING, YOU...

Kate -_going into his face, her cheeks red, fuming_-: YOU KNOW WHAT?! I´M SICK OF IT! I´M SICK OF YOU CONSTANTLY REMINDING ME OF THAT! I SAID I WAS SORRY! I SAID IT DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING! I SAID…YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I´M SICK OF?! I´M SICK OF YOU BEHAVING LIKE YOU´RE THE ONLY ONE WITH THE BROKEN HEART! THERE, I ADMITTED IT! -_she runs out of breath, she pauses for a while, feeling tears filling her eyes_- I CONFESSED IT! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED?! IS THAT WHY YOU WERE DOING ALL OF THIS?! TO BREAK MY HEART?! WELL, CONGRATULATIONS, YOU SUCCEDDED! -_she breaks down, sobbing, but continues through tears and screams_- SEEING YOU ALL OVER HER, laughing with her, flirting with her….IT BROKE MY HEART! SO, THERE, YOU CAN BE HAPPY NOW!

Jack just stares at her, _he certainly didn't expect this to happen_, _her to tell him all of this…still, there is a little voice in his head that reminds him what she did to him, how much he hurt him…how much he suffered…and now she was accusing HIM?!_

Kate stops yelling, feeling tired of all of that…Suddenly, he pushes her forcefully against the wall, his lips covering hers…he kisses her aggressively, wanting to pour all his anger, disappointment and regret in that one kiss. _Kate is surprised, she didn't expect this…she didn't expect him kissing her like that…she is confused, she doesn't want it to be like this and still…it was so good to taste his lips again, to kiss him again…_

Jack feels Kate twitching under him…he comes to his senses…he stops, pulling away from her…he looks into her eyes…he´s angry…angry on her for making him feel that way, making him kissing her that way, hurting her…

Jack –_angrily_- IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED?! -_Kate looks at him, shocked….she can see so much frustration in his eyes_- -_louder_- IS IT?!

Kate –_screaming_- NO!

Jack -_screaming also_- THEN WHAT IS IT, KATE?! -_he grabs her for her shoulders_- WHAT IS IT?!

Kate -_breaking down_-: I WANTED YOU TO LOVE ME! -_she cries it_-

Jack lets go of her shoulders, stunned, puzzled…He opens his mouths few times to say something…but words don't come out…he just stares at her….watching her breaking down in front of him…falling on the ground and crying…he wants to bend down and comfort her, hug her, but he cant…_he just cant…it just…hurt too much…seeing them hurt in that cage hurt too much…_he makes a few steps backwards

Jack -_quietly, disappointed, little bitterly_-: Well, Kate, unfortunately for me, you got that one fulfilled. -_he looks into her eyes, both their eyes reflecting the same pain, hurt and regret_- Long time ago.

And with that said, he leaves…leaving her on the ground, crying…

---_**Few hours later**_---

Jack is sitting on the beach, alone…throwing pebbles in the ocean. He is angry…_he…he shouldn't have acted like that, he shouldn't have leave her like that, he shouldn't have said all those terrible words…he should have hugged her…it just…it hurt too much…he loved her, loved her with all his heart, but he…he didn't want to be hurt again…he didn't want to go through that feeling of thousands of knives slamming into his stomach when he saw her curled in his arms…_

Jack -_tosses another pebble angrily into the sea_- Damn it!

Kate –_quietly_- Wow…you must really hate those pebbles.

He looks up at her, sees now dry traces of tears on her cheeks…he feels pang of guilt…regret…Kate looks at him, he knows exactly how he feels…because she´s feeling the same…She sits next to him, her eyes still towards the ocean.

Kate -_almost whispering_- I guess we both screwed up, huh? -_she smiles slightly, looking up at him; he looks back, their eyes locking, he smiles softly_-

Jack: Yeah…I guess we did.

Kate: Jac…

Jack: I…

They both smile.

Kate: Can I first? -_Jack looks at her, she´s beautiful, he smiles, nods; Kate smiles too_- Tnx. Jack, I…I´m sorry. I…I don't expect you to understand it, I just…I want to explain it to you. -_he nods again_- Back there…I…I wasn't myself. They handcuffed me, Jack. -he _looks at her, knowing how much freedom meant to her_- They put me in a dress. They made me work. They…they didn't want to tell me where you were…and then they…they forced me to watch them beating the hell out of him, Jack. It was so….brutal. Animalistic. Frightening. And I just…I gave up. I gave up hope. I was scared, I didn't know what they were capable of…and after witnessing all of that, …and seeing you refusing to do the surgery…I…I just…I believed that they were gonna to kill us…kill us the day after…and I just…I wanted someone to comfort me…I…

Jack -_cutting her off_- It´s okay, Kate. It´s…I´m sorry. I´m sorry you had to go through all of that. And I´m sorry for the things I said. -he looks at the ground- I was…just…when I saw the two of you…it hurt sooo much…I literally felt my heart splitting and…I just…I just didn't want to live it again…

Kate –_quietly_- I´m sorry.

Jack -_looking at her tenderly_- Yeah, I´m sorry, too.

Kate: Starting over?

Jack –_nods_- Starting over.

Kate smiles; then wipes away the tear. She turns her head towards him.

Kate -_offering him hand_- Hey. Kate. Kate Austen.

Jack looks at her, puzzled, he smiles, taking her hand.

Jack: Jack. Jack Shephard.

Kate looks at him, their eyes lock; they both smile, blushing slightly…


	5. Chapter 5

Again, tnx for the comments. I was a bit afraid you wouldn't like it, because it didn't have Jaby in it :D and it was written in the script format. But this thread is originally for LF dyojs, so…it might happen again, depending on which type I feel like writing. ;)

This is the one I dug up from my files. I wrote it quite long time ago as a b-day present for my friend, and I think it was my first Jaby one.

_**Family morning**_

The sun was slowly piercing its way through the sleepy sky as Kate opened her eyes, blinking; still deciding whether to wake up or continue sleeping. She was still tired from the last night, from Jack´s kisses, touches and everything he did to her body. She smiled at the memory. _After all this time, they still had that sparkle they were feeling in their first months on this island. That glimmer in their eyes when they would look at each other and that special smile they saved only for the two of them._

She stretched out in the tent, reaching her hand to his side of the ˝_bed_˝. _It was still warm._ She buried her head into his pillow, enjoying the scent of him. _She could stay like this the whole day, cuddled under the blankets, just savoring his odor…But she knew she had to get up soon. Someone was waiting for her._

She smiled at the sight of empty baby cradle in the left corner. She was so exhausted last night that she didn't even hear him getting up. She assumed that he took him for a walk, giving her a chance to rest properly. It was something he often did and Kate was amazed with it. She couldn't believe she actually managed to find a man who wasn't just an extraordinary partner and a gentle lover, but also a wonderful dad. Just a glance at him with the baby revealed how much he really enjoyed it. _Enjoyed being Dad_. Kate appreciated the most those peaceful moments when the two of them would just lie on the bed, admiring the miracle of life that was cuddled between them, slowly sucking his finger. Kate knew they would need to teach him out of that soon, but she somehow didn't have a heart to do it, because he looked so cute like that. So she decided to let it be and wait for the time to deal with it.

˝Right...getting up.˝ she said as she sleepily lifted herself from the bed, putting on the jeans and one of Jack´s T-shirts. _She loved wearing his shirts_. She somehow felt even closer to him. And besides, the others didn't make the big deal out of it anymore. When she first did that, Charlie and Hurley wouldn't stop teasing her, doing cat calls and woots whole day long. But they calmed down now. After all, she and Jack have been together for 3 years and had a child, so…there really wasn't need for teasing anymore.

She slowly made her way down across the beach, occasionally stopping to say a good morning to other Losties. The sun was gently brushing her skin and she enjoyed the feeling of warmth on her body, tangled with the scent of Jack on his shirt. She had a slight idea of where she could find them and she headed in that direction.

On the other side of the beach, Jack was enjoying the feeling of warm sun rays combined with the soft summer breeze coming from the ocean. He was lying in the net, one hand under his head, the other one placed gently at the back of his two-year old son, who was lying on his chest, sucking his finger and drifting to sleep. Jack could feel his chest peacefully going up and down and he was amazed at how calming the feeling of it was. He looked up at the boy´s face, smiling at the sight of his cheeks, blushed from sleeping.

_The boy was adorable combination of both of them. You couldn't say he looked like his mum only, or just like his dad. He had bright brown hair that formed tiny curls at its end; deep captivating eyes, hazel like his daddy´s, but with little traces of green also...His nose was Kate´s, that wasn't even a question. But his smile….he had his daddy´s smile, and his eyes would shine with the same flicker as Jack´s did. When it came to his personality, there was a mix of both Kate and Jack in him. On one side, he knew to be serious, very observant actually, his eyes taking in all that surrounded him. He was also very gentle and thoughtful: he would often pick flowers and bring them to Kate, or cuddled himself in person's lap when he would see someone was sad…or crying. But then again, he knew to be just like mini-Kate when he was in element, and it sometimes drove both Kate and Jack over the edge. He was extremely curious and ever since he learned how to walk, he learned how to run, too; so they constantly needed to look after him, otherwise he would just disappear in the jungle on his own. Oh and, he also learned how to make puppy eyes, which drove Jack nuts because then he couldn't refuse him anything – it was like watching Kate´s face again, and he would soon find himself surrendering and giving him extra candy or whatever it was the boy was looking for._

He snapped out of his thoughts and gently removed one tuft that had fallen on boy´s face. Sammy stirred up a bit and moved his hand on his dad´s neck, but continued sleeping. Jack made a relieved moan, afraid for a moment that the boy would wake up. It´s not that he wasn't in the mood for playing around with him, it was just…he wanted to enjoy this peace for a bit longer, watching the waves brushing against the shore and listening the sound of his son´s breathing. Slowly, he started drifting to sleep, too.

Kate took of her shoes, letting her bare feet enjoy the touch of silky sand, as she was getting closer and closer to that secluded part of the beach where she and Jack first met. She knew they would be there and soon enough, she could see two silhouettes, smaller one lying on the bigger one, swaying gently. She smiled when she saw they both had their eyes closed, their breathing deep, which probably meant they were both sleeping. She walked on her tiptoes, careful not to make any sound that could wake Jack up. She was safe for Sammy, because he had a deep sleep, but Jack…even the tiniest sound and he would already be awake. Proud that she managed to do it, she leaned slightly above them and placed her lips on Jack´s, giving him one small gentle kiss; then pulling away at the sight of him stirring.

Jack opened his eyes, blinking slowly as the light pierced through his eyelashes. He saw her smiling at him and suddenly all he dreamed about few minutes faded away in front of her beauty.

˝Hey, Sleeping beauty… I didn't think that _sleeping_ fits under the category of _babysitting_. ˝she added teasingly.

˝Funny. ˝he replied sarcastically, pulling her closer, so that her lips were now only inches from his face. ˝The again, after last night, man could think I deserved some rest, couldn't he?

Kate smiled before her mouth was captured once more by his; his hand on her neck, steadying her; his tongue separating her lips, enabling him access. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of him, her hand on his arm, supporting herself not to fall down. After few minutes, they pulled apart, gasping for breath.

˝So….˝ started Kate, going around the net, feeling his eyes following her.

˝So….˝ joined Jack, unable to turn his gaze away from her. _There was something special in seeing her in his shirt…she looked even more beautiful, if that was even possible_. ˝Come here. ˝he said as he shifted a little to make space for her.

˝How was he? ˝she asked, getting up in the net and snuggling up in his lap. He placed his arm underneath her head, so that she could be more comfortable.

˝Good. I gave him some food and then we came here, talked a little and he fell asleep again. ˝he replied, gently stroking her shoulder with his fingers.

˝And you fell asleep with him, too?! ˝she brought the subject again, teasing him.

Jack smiled. He knew she wasn't going to give up. _She never did._

˝You could say it that way, yeah. ˝he mumbled, surrendering.

˝Yes! I won! ˝she said victoriously, grinning at him.

Jack smiled. She was adorable.

˝You always win, Kate. ˝he added, kissing her again.

Kate smiled back, putting her hand on Sammy´s back and gently caressing him. Her expression turned serious.

˝Are you pleased with the way things turned out, Jack? ˝she asked quietly.

Jack looked down at her. He could see the change on her face.

˝You mean with us and Sammy? ˝

She nodded.

˝Of course I´m pleased. Best thing ever happened to me. ˝he added, putting his other hand on top of hers, so that their hands were now united on their baby´s back. ˝You´re not? ˝he asked, a little afraid.

Kate shook her head.

˝No….it´s just…I never thought I´d be a mum. Not that I didn't want to, but my life was pretty…hectic before and I guess…I never…never thought about it…And then we crashed here and…I got a chance for new life and…4 years later…here I am, with you beside me and a little boy who calls me Mummy…It´s just…it´s miracle.

Jack smiled. He also felt the same way. _If someone had told him, 4 years ago, that he would crash on the deserted island, find the love of his life there (who, to spice it a bit more, was a criminal) and start a family; he would have told him he was nuts. And yet, here he was. With Kate by his side and baby in his lap._

He squeezed her hand slightly, letting her know that he was there with her.

˝_You_ are a miracle, Kate. ˝he whispered quietly, kissing the top of her head. ˝Now, let´s get some sleep, okay? ˝

Kate smiled. He always knew the way to make her feel better.

˝´kay. ˝she nodded, closing her eyes and letting herself finally to the peace she dreamed of all those years while she was on the run. Surrendering herself… to harmony…with Jack….and Sammy. _With family._


	6. Chapter 6

Tnx for the reviews, guys. hug You´re the best.

This one is mostly fluff Jate. It´s an AU and is set little more than 2,5 years after they left the island. Jack and Kate are living together and, like many of us all around the world, are having a HP fever.

WARNING FOR HP FANS: The dyojs is talking about the new book, but I tried my best not to put a lot of spoilers, for those who still haven't read the book. It was easier posting this on LF, because there they have spoiler tags and I have no idea what to do about that in here. shrugs Well, I really didn't include any major spoilers. I don't think it can even be called spoilers. One thing I included is that the trio is on the hunt for the Horcruxes, but – we already knew they would be from book6, so…it really isn't a spoiler. Second one is that there is a fight – but…knowing JKR, you could already guess that :D , so…I don't think that could count as spoiler too. I edited the name of the person who was hurt – so I just put instead of it – those of you who read the book should know who I was talking about, but I really didn't want to spoil anything for the rest of you. The same for the part when Jack is talking about how the book begins – I put instead of person´s name.

So…for all of you who haven't read the new book, I think I can say that it´s 99 sure that you can read this one without being spoiled. 

Jack sighed as he heard the footsteps outside of their LA apartment. _His time of peace has just passed. _He straightened up a bit, checking that the black book was safely hidden behind the pillows before leaning down on them again with his back. Hearing the key turning in the keyhole, he quickly took the other book in his hands, grazing the dark cover with big golden letters carved into its surface and adjusting it so that it seemed like it really belonged to it. Lifting his feet up on the chair in front of the couch, he smiled mischievously as he watched the door opening and one small hand appearing behind it…

Kate entered the apartment, her curls tied up in a loose ponytail and her eyes glinting with excitement. She quickly took off the light-brown coat and placed it on the hanger; then took off the shoes as well. Laying the leather bag aside, she made her way towards the living room where she saw him sitting on the couch.

˝Morning, babe. ˝said Jack, lifting his eyes from the book and watching her graceful figure approaching him.

She reached him, stepping around his legs and leaning down above him, giving him a small, intimate kiss. Smiling, she pulled away. She took a few steps back and sat down, settling on his legs.

˝Soooo…˝ she said eagerly, leaning a bit forward.

˝Sooo…what? ˝asked Jack teasingly, small smile playing on his lips as he saw her eyes glancing down on the book every few seconds.

˝The book! ˝she said impatiently, annoyed by his pretending obliviousness. ˝How is it? What is happening? Which chapter are you on? Who…? ˝she started, saying it all in one breath.

˝Whoa, whoa! ˝said Jack, placing his hand on the top of her knee. ˝Slow down. Breathe. ˝he said, quite amused. He watched her as she closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. ˝Okay…now – what did you want to know? ˝

˝Tell me! What is happening? Which chapter are you on? ˝she repeated, trying to look above the book, but he quickly shoved it away. She gave him an annoyed look and he just smiled at her, winking.

˝I´m on the chapter 11 and what is happening is…˝he started, leaning forward, his voice fading to whisper. Intrigued, Kate leaned forward too, their noses almost touching now. ˝…something I won't tell you. ˝he finished, throwing her a smug grin as she looked stunned at first; then hit him over his knee.

˝Hey! ˝he said, backing his legs underneath her and leaving her sitting only on the little chair. ˝What was that for?! ˝

˝You know perfectly well what was that for! ˝she said, getting hold of his arm and twisting it a bit. ˝Now, if you don't want it to happen again, you´ll tell me what´s happening! ˝she said, her voice determined.

˝Kate, we´ve been over this, we agreed that I wouldn't te…˝ started Jack, trying to get out of her grip, but she was holding him pretty firm. ˝Jaack…˝she warned, squeezing tighter and he let out a little whimper. ˝Okay, okay, I´ll tell you. ˝he mumbled, small smile playing on his lips. ˝Could you just…let go of me first? ˝he said, adding a little Please after seeing the look she threw him.

Kate considered the plea and slowly nodded, releasing his arm. Jack let a sigh of relief and looked at her, flashing her a grin. She smiled too, shifting in a more comfortable position on the chair.

˝Okay….so, what´s happening is….The book starts with two man walking down a narrow lane. One of them is and the other i….˝he started, but was cut as she jumped off the chair, running towards kitchen and covering her ears with her hands: _I don't wanna know! I don't wanna know!_ ˝

Jack looked at her bewildered for a while; then burst into laugh. His laugh died soon though, as she cast him a warning look. He cleared up his throat a bit and straightened up, pretending to read. From the corner of his eye he saw her opening the fridge and taking a sip of guava juice. _It has been hard to get it round here, but they´ve been doing their best, because it kinda represented their connection to the island and the life they left now a little more than 2 years ago. She seemed quite peaceful, but he knew she´d strike again, so he would have to be careful._

˝Jack? ˝she called couple of minutes later.

˝Yes, Kate? ˝he replied trying to suppress the grin, knowing the time for the second round was about to begin.

˝I ran into Mrs Hogson this afternoon. ˝Kate started, careful how to go through with this.

˝Oh, yeah? ˝he asked; eager to hear what she´d come up with this time. _Almost the same thing happened last year when The Half Blood Prince was published._

˝Yeah. ˝Kate said, rising up from the table and placing the dishes in the dish washer, trying to sound as nonchalantly as possible. ˝She…she said she hadn't been feeling quite good lately. ˝

˝She did? ˝asked Jack, biting on his lips to prevent himself from laughing. _He knew she was making it up._

˝Y-yeah. ˝said Kate, leaving the kitchen and entering the living room. ˝She´s…she´s having headaches and, well, she asked if you could come and check her. ˝

˝Oh. ˝

˝Yeah. I told her you´d come as soon as possible…˝she started, tucking the curl behind her ear. ˝´Cause…you know, she sounded quite scared and…all. ˝she finished.

Jack looked up at her; then looked down at the book again, turning the page. ˝Hmmm…˝

Kate looked at him, confused.

˝You´re…you´re not gonna go and check her? ˝she asked as he seemed to continue with the reading.

˝What? you mean – now? ˝asked Jack, barely raising his gaze.

˝Uhm…yeah. ˝said Kate, looking at his strangely. What was happening? Usually the patient-in-need things worked pretty good. ˝Knowing that she…uhm…sounded quite scared and... ˝

_˝...All_? ˝ offered Jack, smiling at her. ˝See, that´s pretty interesting, Kate. ˝said Jack, closing the book and looking up at her finally, smug smile visible on his face. ˝Considering that I spoke with Mrs Hogson on the phone half an hour ago and she told me that she was having a great time visiting her grandsons in Lancaster and that she only called to ask us if we could water her plants while she was away. Which would be – next few days, to be precise. ˝he finished, smiling from ear to ear.

He watched Kate´s expression changing from confusing to utter surprise, as she nervously tucked another piece of hair behind her ear.

˝Oh…right. ˝she mumbled quietly. ˝Well, in that case…will the old trick of puppy-eyeing you work then? ˝she asked.

Jack looked at her. Her cheeks were having a little shade of pink and she was currently giving him the puppy-gaze that he could rarely refuse, but he was determined to win this one.

˝Nope. ˝he said determinately. ˝I won the bet fair and square, Kate, and you know it. The one who was right would get to read the book first. And that had been…_me_. ˝he said, leaning forward and giving her one small peck before leaning down on the couch again.

˝Right…˝Kate said sarcastically. ˝Like the question was fair in the first place. ˝

˝Hey, a lot of people would know how many Quiddich matches had been played in the previous books. ˝he replied, acting offended. ˝Besides…what sort of question would be ´fair´ to you, anyway? ˝

˝Uhm…I don't know…anything about Sirius, I suppose. ˝she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Jack straightened up in an instant.

˝What…you´re having crush for Sirius? ˝he asked, and Kate had to do her best to prevent herself from cracking up at how adorable he looked like. 

˝What…you´re…jealous? ˝she asked, leaning above him until their lips almost touched.

˝I…I don't know…should I be? ˝asked Jack insecurely.

Kate smiled at him and, instead of answering him, crushed her lips on his, kissing him passionately. She dragged her lips upon his, her tongue asking for entrance that he soon gave, silent moan escaping his mouth as their tongues collided. Kate felt her lips stretching into small smile at the sound of his moan – _she had him at least._

Pretending to be shifting into more comfortable position, she slowly leaned little more on the right, her hand gradually coming closer and closer to the book that was lying nearby, until she finally had it clutched tightly in her hand.

˝Got it! ˝she cried triumphantly as she jumped up and, casting him a smug smile, ran to the bathroom, with the book finally in her hand.

Jack shook his head. _She was good; he had to admit it to her_. ˝But…I´m better. ˝he thought, as the grin appeared on his face.

˝Uhm...Kaaaate? ˝he called out. ˝You can go out of the bathroom. ˝

For a few seconds nothing could be heard and he knew that she was pressing her ear on the door to make sure he wasn't in front of it. Finally, he heard the door opening and, soon enough, she appeared at the doorway, slightly confused.

˝Why? ˝she asked suspiciously, still ready to run if he tried to catch her.

Jack said nothing, but reached beneath the pillows, pulling out a black, coverless book and waving with it in the air.

˝I…I don't understand. ˝said Kate, not getting while he was having that smug look on his face when she was the one holding the book.

˝Look at the book. ˝Jack suggested, smiling from ear to ear.

Kate did as told, but found nothing suspicious. ˝What´s there to be strange? ˝she asked, eyeing him like he had gone mental. _˝Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ – it´s written perfectly clear. ˝

˝Try with under the covers. ˝he suggested, grinning and Kate finally realized what had happened. Slowly, she lifted the covers and looked at the book underneath it. _The Half Blood Prince_. _The 6th book_.

The smile quickly disappeared from her face. _He had outsmarted her…once again._

She raised her gaze and saw him grinning innocently at her, and she couldn't help but smile._ He __was __good._

˝Haha…really funny. ˝she said sarcastically when she finally spoke again. ˝I have one question though – how did you know? ˝she said, and he looked up at her. ˝That I´ll…uhm…try something like this? ˝she added, blushing slightly under his gaze.

˝Kate, when the HBP was published, you promised our 9-year-old neighbor to buy him candies every day for next 2 weeks if he dragged me out of the house long enough for you to find and snatch the book. ˝he said, straightening up. ˝Not to mention the morning when you locked me on the balcony only in my pants and left me freezing for 20 minutes before admitting that there was no way of finding where I´d hid it. ˝he added, still remembering the cold.

Kate felt herself blushing even more. _When she thought about it now, it was really cruel to leave him on that cold back then, and Tommy Jeffers __**did **__force her into buying him those candies for the next 2 weeks, because, as he told her, he __**did **__manage to keep Jack distracted long enough, it was __**her **__that screwed up her own plan – by __**not **__finding the book._

˝Listen,…˝ said Jack, watching as her eyes followed the ground. ˝…why don't you go in the room and try to relax a bit, maybe read some magazines or stuff and, if after 2 hours you really wanna know what´s happening, I´ll tell you, okay? ˝

˝Okay. ˝she said, although a bit grudgingly, kissing him goodbye and heading for the room.

_15 minutes later_

˝Jack? ˝said Kate, appearing out of nowhere and sitting down in one of the armchairs in the living room.

Jack looked up, confused. He knew he had been ˝into˝ the book, but it sure couldn't have been that look for those 2 hours to pass. ˝Yeah? ˝he said.

Kate looked at him, taking in a deep breath.

˝I made a decision. ˝she said, deadly serious, like it was about one of those life & death decisions. Jack straightened up; his eyes meeting hers. ˝I wanna know. ˝

Jack sighed. _Okay…she was __**slightly **__starting to get on his nerves_…

˝You sure? ˝

She nodded.

˝No, I meant – are you _absolutely _sure? ˝he asked, knowing how she knew to be indecisive. ˝You won't change your mind again? You won't stop me in the middle and ran away screaming about how, in fact, you don't wanna know? ˝

˝Yes, I´m absolutely sure. ˝she said. ˝I want…no, I need to know what´s happening, otherwise I´ll go crazy. ˝

˝Yeah, like you already aren't. ˝mumbled Jack silently.

˝Excuse me? ˝she asked, her forehead frowning.

˝Uhm…n-nothing. ˝he replied quickly. ˝So…this is it, huh? Your final decision? ˝

˝Yep, my final decision. ˝she said, leaning forward a bit.

˝Okay. ˝he started, looking down at the book. ˝So, so far Harry, Ron and Hermione are on their hunt for the Horcruxes, while the rest of the Order of the… ˝ Jack started, but was cut off by barely audible _Jack?_ coming out of her mouth.

Jack looked up and found her looking at him with kinda embarrassed expression on her face. ˝Yeah? ˝he asked, sensing what was coming.

˝I don't wanna know. ˝she whispered, smiling shyly at him.

˝Oh, for God´s sake! ˝said Jack, running his fingers through his hair._ They could go like this forever._

˝Wait – where are you going? ˝she asked as she saw him getting up and grabbing his car keys. ˝Jack, come on…don't tell me you´re mad for this! ˝she cried, getting up from the chair too. ˝I don't mean to be…˝she started, but he cut her off.

˝I´m just going out for a while. Don't worry. ˝he said, putting on the jacket. He smiled at her and left the room. ˝Oh and…˝he started, entering the living room again. He leaned above her and pulled her into kiss, his lips crushing upon hers, kissing her passionately and then pulling away before she even became aware of what had just happened. ˝…just for the record – I´m NOT angry. ˝he said, grinning playfully and heading away, leaving her stunned with the intensity of the kiss.

_half an hour later_

Jack found her sitting in the chair, apparently asleep, because she didn't seem to have heard him entering. He stood at the doorway for a while, watching beautiful brown curls gracefully cascading down her shoulders as her head leaned slightly to the right. He smiled._ They´ve been living together for almost 2 years now, but he still found himself in awe of her beauty – the inner and the outer one. _Careful not to make any noise, he approached her from the back, pulling out a small package out of the bag and leaning behind her.

˝Wake up, Sleepy. ˝he whispered into her ear, his warm breath immediately causing shivers down her body.

She shifted slightly as she felt his lips leaving wet trace all across the left side of her neck. 

˝Mmmm…˝she mumbled, slowly opening her eyes and moving her head to the right, exposing more of her skin to him; but he ceased with the action. She was about to protest when she felt small package landing on her lap.

˝Brought you something. ˝he said, kissing her one more time; then getting up and placing himself on the couch.

Kate looked at him questioningly; but he just grinned at her, nodding her to open it. Her fingers traveled across the shiny paper and she knew what it was before she even opened it. Unwrapping the paper, she saw the gold letters shining at her: _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_.

˝Thought this could calm you a bit. ˝Jack said, smiling at the way her eyes flickered.

She said nothing at first, but quickly got up and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and placing one soft kiss upon his lips.

˝Thank you. ˝she said, smiling shyly.

˝You´re welcome. ˝he said, kissing her once more. ˝Now…˝he said, guiding her off of him and getting up. ˝…how about we…put on some music and continue with the reading? ˝

Kate nodded and placed herself in the armchair again, pulling up her legs and settling on them. Jack reached the stereo and pressed the play button; then took the blanket and gently spread it on top of her, tucking her in. Kissing the top of her head, he smiled once again; then placed himself on the couch, adjusting the pillows and taking the book. Leaning down, happy smile playing on his face, he opened the page 321…

_few hours later_

The sun outside of the apartment was slowly going to its sleep and the vast room was now illuminated with the light of two standing orange lamps that were throwing warm light across it. Jack was still sitting on the couch; his back leaned against the pillows and his legs up, resting. Every now and then, he would throw a quick glance at Kate, who was reading the book happily in her armchair. Jack was glad that she was enjoying the book, but he couldn't exactly claim that he was enjoying his the same. ´Cause, as he soon came to know, buying Kate the book _wasn't _exactly the best way to secure himself the tranquility…

˝OMG, this is soooo tense! ˝said Kate, jumping slightly in her chair. ˝I can't believe this is happening! It´s all so fast! I mean, I´m only at chapter 4 and there´s already a fight! And, OMG, they´re surrounded...˝she continued, biting her nails.

Jack rolled his eyes. _It´s been like this for the past few hours. While he was trying to concentrate on his chapter, Kate´s been laughing, gasping, ranting and squeeing together with the characters, which would´ve been adorable if his chapter wasn't one of crucial importance for understanding the rest of the storyline._

˝OMG, they shot down ! Wait…he´ll be alright, right? Jack? Come on; tell me, I have to know! ˝she continued, deciding to ignore his apparent ignorance to her questioning. ˝Jaaaack? Come on, you´ve read this part and…˝

˝Enough already. ˝he said, running his fingers through his head in frustration. _She´d gonna drive him crazy._ He put down the book and lifted the blanket. ˝Come here. ˝he sighed, motioning to her to join him.

Kate smiled at him, placing down the book; then got up from the armchair and crossed the room. He spread his legs and she settled between them, her back leaned against his chest. He pulled the blanket over them and reached for the book, his hands closing around her stomach as she leaned her head backwards on his shoulder.

˝Now…which page you were on? ˝he said slowly, listing through the pages.

˝What – you´re gonna return back and read with me? ˝she asked, visibly surprised.

˝Yeah, I´m gonna re-read with you. ˝he said quietly, kissing her on the cheeks.

˝Really? You´d do that? ˝she asked incredulously, not able to imagine that he would go 10 chapters backwards just because of her.

˝For you…_everything_. ˝he said simply. ˝Plus… this way, maybe I´m gonna have some peace. ˝he added, grinning at her.

She smiled at him, giving him a small peck; then settling down in his lap again.

˝You´re amazing, you know that? ˝she whispered affectionately, snuggling deeper into his arms.

˝Well, I heard that a couple of times. ˝he added, smugly. ˝So…shall we? ˝he asked, settling on the right page.

She nodded, and he started reading, their fingers intertwining as they were mentally transported into the world of magic together…


	7. Chapter 7

Tnx for all the comments hug I know it´s been a while since I updated, but I was busy with re-decorating my room, so I didn't have time for writing.

p.s. The song is _All I want is you_ by Take That. ;)

_**Is life a fairytale?**_

She turned her head off of them as she felt the familiar tickling in her eyes. ˝_No, Kate, you´re not going to cry. Not anymore. _˝she thought to herself, staring at the lumpy waves that were crashing periodically against the shore, taking the sand with them into some deep, unknown depths. _If only it was that easy. If only this pain could disappear as easily as those tiny washed-away marbles. _

But she knew it couldn't. _For waves… for waves it took only few seconds to sweep away the sand, like it never existed. For her…to sweep away the pain…it would take weeks, months, years maybe. But she had to make her peace with it. Life wasn't a fairytale. She made her own bed and now she had to deal with its consequences. No matter how hard they were. How cruel, how destructive, how final – she would gonna face them alone. There wouldn't be a prince on the white horse coming out to rescue her, to fix it back. No. This time, it was just her. Her…and memories._

She felt the tickling again. _She wouldn't gonna let it._ Closing her eyes, she threw her head backwards, inhaling the fresh, salt ocean´s air. She felt herself calming almost instantly. She couldn't explain it, but there was something about the ocean that had the soothing effect on her. Something like…home. Yeah…_home_. Probably it was because of the memories of driving to the beach with her mum. She was little, but she would always remember those days. _The days when everything wasn't so messed up. The days when she was the one occupying the place of the most important person in her mother´s life. The days before Wayne. _

She remembered it like it was yesterday. _Running across the beach, her mother´s giggles as she tried to catch up with the 5 year old; the sounds of white dress swaying in the wind…_Those were the only occasions when Kate would accept to wear the dress. _Even as little, she wasn't exactly a dress type, but she loved the feeling of long white robes swaying around her in the fresh ocean breeze. She would close her eyes and spread her arms…and then sway and sway and sway…until she felt so light that the smallest wind could lift her up and carry her away. Her Mum would just stay there, watching her and smiling; then stopping her before she reached the point of being dizzy. Then she would pick her up, tell her how much she loved her and planted small kiss at the top of her head. Kate would bury her face in her neck and let her mother carry her to the place where ocean met the shore. She would then put her down, and the two of them would sink, together, watching the waves washing the sand away…_

Kate looked around herself. Without even being aware of it, she realized she had got up and was now standing inches away from the ocean. She smiled. Closing her eyes, she made a step forward; her lips spreading into a warm smile at the feeling of liquid cold coming in contact with her bare feet. _Everything would be alright. Ocean came to rescue again._

She didn't know how long she was standing like that, listening to the sounds of the waves mixed with the music coming from the backwards, when she heard silent footsteps behind.

˝There´s no need to sink away from the island anymore – the ship is already coming for us. ˝she heard his voice, low and playful.

She looked back at him, tossing a small smile before turning to the ocean again. Jack smiled too. He looked at her again: at the way her back curled softly and the way her curls played softly in the wind_. She was beautiful_. Slowly, he made a few steps forward.

˝Hey. ˝he said simply, reaching her level.

˝Hey. ˝Kate replied back, glancing at him.

Smile escaped both of their lips.

Kate blushed a bit, feeling his eyes on her. She smiled again. It was strange how, despite everything being messed up between them, that simple word would return it like it used to be, at least for that fragment of moment. Jack smiled too. He remembered the day when he first saw her sinking. _The time when everything was simple._ It seemed like centuries ago. He bent down and silently took of his shoes. Kate watched him as he entered the ocean too.

None of them spoke for a few minutes; both feeling like immersed into some parallel universe, where things weren´t complicated…where everything was good and easy, and where ´they´ still existed.

Somewhere from the background, distant sound of melody appeared:

_If you believe that you really need someone  
That always will be true   
So what's the problem of finding this someone  
I need somebody too  
I need a chance to prove to you  
All the things I say and do  
I only do to make you happy  
And in my mind I've made the plans  
As soon as we both get the chance  
I will make all these things happen  
_

˝Why aren't you at the party? ˝Jack asked, turning slightly towards her.

˝Not exactly a party type. ˝Kate replied quietly, twirling her foot deeper in the sand.

˝Really? Then…˝he started, stepping a bit closer to her. ˝…I guess I´d be wasting my time if I…let´s say…asked you for a dance? ˝he finished, now standing right in front of her.

˝Really? ˝asked Kate, turning to face him. ˝I thought you already had a dance partner. ˝she said, little more bitter than she planned to.

Jack looked at her. Their eyes met for a second and he caught a glimpse of something like jealousy before she quickly looked away, fixing her eyes at the ocean again. He swallowed a small smile. _She was jealous_. Happy with the revelation, he decided to play along a bit more.

˝Who? Juliet? ˝he asked nonchalantly, noticing the small frown of her eyes at the mention of Juliet´s name.

Kate said nothing, but gave him the look. Jack smiled.

˝Juliet is just my friend, Kate, nothing more. ˝he explained, deciding to clear that up once and for all. He saw her letting a sigh of relief and he smiled again. _He didn't enjoy hurting her and he was glad that it was behind them now._ Wanting to ease up the tension a bit, he added: ˝Consider her sort of…warming up. ˝he said, leaning forward even more; his hands now coming to rest on her hips.

Kate shivered. The air was fresh, but she knew it had nothing to do with the air, but with the feeling of his fingertips making contact with the exposed skin just above the waistline of her jeans. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, trying to regain the composure. She didn't know how or why it was happening, but he always had that kind of effect on her. _The one when she would lose awareness of everything else around her except the light tickling of his breath on her neck and the soothing warmness of his body._

_If all you want is me then all I want is you  
If all you want is me then all I want is you  
If all you want is me then all I want is you  
I want you girl  
If all you want is me then all I want is you  
I want you lady  
_

She opened her eyes and looked up, finding him grinning at her. She cursed slightly under her breath, hating herself for being so frail around him.

˝What?! ˝she asked, frustrated.

˝Nothing. ˝Jack replied, not able to suppress the grin.

Kate rolled her eyes and pinched him slightly. ˝So you think you can have fun with _her_ till the party is almost over and then just come here and expect _me_ to throw myself into your arms just like that? ˝she asked playfully, pushing him aside a bit.

Jack looked at her, amused. _Fine. She wanted play, she´ll get the play._

˝I´m afraid I do. ˝said Jack hoarsely; in one swiftly move pulling her towards him, causing her body to crash with his, exciting a surprised moan from her throat. He smiled, his fingers nesting in the openings of her front pockets. Steadying her, he leaned forwards until his lips were only inches away from her earlobe and whispered seductively: ˝You know how they say: saving the best for the last. ˝

He smiled as he felt her breath stopping in her throat and he knew instinctively that she had closed her eyes. He softly blew in her earlobe, feeling her stomach going tense; then smiled and moved away a bit, giving her space, knowing that she didn't like to be so out of control.

˝Listen…it´s probably our last night here and…I just want to have this last dance with you. ˝he said. ˝Please? ˝he added, offering a hand.

Kate looked at him. He was wearing dark blue jeans and the first few buttons of his shirt were loosened, giving him the look of a latin lover. His face was smiling and the moonlight was reflecting in his eyes. She knew they didn't have much time. It´s been a question of hours till the rescue ship would come and she would have to face a reality much tougher than being stranded on a deserted island. She deserved this last moment of peace. _They_ deserved it.

Smiling, she took his hand and her right hand went up to rest on his shoulder; while her left one intertwined with his fingers. She felt his left hand settling itself on the soft curl of her back, and she smiled serenely, leaning her head on his shoulder.

_Don't make excuses don't tell me sad stories  
Let's get things sorted out  
Don't change your mind  
Don't let a big chance get smaller   
In this dream there's no doubt  
We need a day to be alone  
Say the things that are unknown  
I only want to make you happy  
And in my mind I've made the plans  
As soon as we both get the chance   
I will make all these things happen  
_

Jack threw a glance at her. She looked so peaceful: her cheeks a bit flushed, her curls spread charmingly on his shoulder, small smile playing on her lips…She looked like angel. And in that moment, he knew. He knew that, no matter what happened next, no matter what tomorrow would bring to them…he knew that he would never leave her alone again. ´Cause she was what was giving his life a sense. And he needed her to know that. Before it was too late.

˝You know…I meant what I said earlier. ˝he finally spoke; his voice low and quiet.

Kate looked up at him. She didn't need explanations – she knew what he was referring to. Even if she didn't, the look on his face was saying it all.

˝When I told you I lov…˝

˝Sssssh. ˝she whispered, placing a finger on his lips. ˝Don't talk. Let´s…let´s just…dance. ˝she added, replacing her finger with her lips and giving him one small, soothing kiss. Jack nodded. He understood. _She __needed__ this dance._ He lifted his hand and gently stroked her cheek, feeling tiny wet trace underneath his fingertips. He felt his heart melting. She was crying. She was crying because this was their last night here and there were so many things still left to be unsaid, unhandled, undone. Tomorrow, they would leave this island; leave the place where she felt accepted, safe and free. And sail towards some new, unknown future.

He placed one gentle kiss on the top of her head, keeping his lips still there for a few moments, letting her know he was there for her.

_If all you want is me then all I want is you  
If all you want is me then all I want is you  
If all you want is me then all I want is you  
If all you want is me then all I want is you  
Yeah_

Pulling her closer, he let go of her hand; his arms now wrapping themselves around her back; his hands coming to rest little below her waistline. She responded by shifting deeper in his hug; her hands positioning themselves on his chest; her face burying in his neck, inhaling his scent.

Clinging to each other, they swayed in the rhythm of the music, their feet moving elegantly as the waves caressed them tenderly, almost delicately, like even them aware of the fragileness of the moment.

˝Jack? ˝she asked quietly, absently playing with the buttons of his shirt.

˝Yeah? ˝Jack replied, looking down at her.

˝I love you too. ˝she whispered.

˝I know. ˝he whispered back, kissing her hair gently.

Kate smiled slightly, leaning her head against his shoulder once again. _Maybe life really was a fairytale._

_If all you want is me then all I want is you  
I want you girl  
If all you want is me then all I want is you  
I want you lady  
If all you want is me then all I want is you  
I want you girl  
If all you want is me then all I want is you  
Yeah_

The song was playing; the waves were crushing against the shore and the wind was making its way across the starlit night. But none of it mattered. ´Cause, for that moment in time, the only things that existed were the two of them – Jack and Kate – and the ocean beneath them…

_If all you want is me then all I want is you_


	8. Chapter 8

It´s been a while since I updated, so I hope you forgive me giggle

_**A Dream Coming True…**_

˝Kate. ˝Jack whispered quietly, leaning above the sleeping woman beneath him. She was lying on her hip; one arm underneath her head and the other hugging the pillow that, by the way she was clutching onto it, Jack assumed had taken the role of him some time after he had left the bed.

He stood there for a while, watching her chest lifting up and down periodically in the rhythm of her breathing. His gaze wandered up to her shoulder, and the breath caught in his throat as he noticed that one of the straps had fallen down, revealing the alluring part of soft skin that seemed to be begging to be touched. His mind flashed towards last night and the way his name sounded on her lips as she trembled in his embrace, flying high on the line between dream and reality as he kept loving her; first hard and fast then slow and gentle, his lips placing baby kisses all along the line of her shoulder as she recovered from the intensity of the emotion.

He came back to reality and his eyes traveled across her face, small smile escaping his lips at the sigh of her semi-opened mouth and a bit of saliva starting to appear in the corner of her mouth. He smiled again. It came to him only now exactly how much Lilly looked like her, especially in this sleeping form. _Same freckled face, wrinkled nose, dark curls spread on the pillow._ The only thing the girl inherited from him seemed to be his eyes: dark, tender, chocolate…ones that seemed to be absorbing the world around them with so much calm that it seemed almost impossible.

He kneeled down next to the bed, leaning above her and placing a soft kiss on her ear as he repeated quietly: ˝Kate. ˝ He felt her stir in the sleep and slowly mumbling something; then stilling again, apparently not willing to detach from whatever she was dreaming. He smiled smugly at the thought that it might be him, and resumed his actions, determined to; if that was the case, turn her fantasies into something real. He traveled a bit more south, his tongue softly tracing the sensitive line of her ear bone, licking on it gently and exciting a small moan from her lips as she reflexively leaned into his touch, seeking for attention. He paused for a few moments until she stilled again; then slowly blew into her ear, his breath fluttering across her skin as his lips closed around her earlobe, sucking on it gently before pulling away.

He watched her stir slightly and then slowly opening her eyes, her gaze still blurred drowsy. She looked around, not too thrilled with the brightness of the day as she wanted nothing but to sink deeply into the pillows again and continue with the dreamland. She couldn't remember what it was that woke her up, she only knew that it was soft and pleasant and wanted nothing more than for it to resume; having her wish fulfilled as on order as she felt warm breath grazing her neck and soft muscle licking its way down her collarbone, finally stopping on her shoulder, slowly sucking the soft skin and placing small kisses all across the surface. Wanting to detect the source of it, she slowly turned around, her face greeted with two soft chocolate marbles, staring at her with such intensity and love that she wanted to simply melt into them until nothing else mattered.

˝Morning, beauty. ˝she heard his voice as he leaned down and gently brushed her lips with his.

She smiled at the welcome, her eyes flickering in the sunlight as she brought her hand to his face, gently caressing his cheek. ˝Morning. ˝she replied quietly, small yawn crossing her mouth. ˝What time is it? ˝she asked, her voice still drowsy.

˝9am. ˝he replied, his fingers losing themselves underneath the soft material of her curls. ˝You´re drooling. ˝he added teasingly, brushing one curl off of her face.

˝I´m not _drooling_. ˝Kate replied and he had to smile at the way her forehead frowned in defense.

˝Of course you´re not. ˝he said playfully; his mouth reaching down and gently closing around the left corner of her mouth as he gently kissed the spot.

Kate felt him smiling against her lips and she knew he´d won this one. She opened her mouth to argue, but it all became irrelevant to her as she felt his tongue slowly sucking on her lower lip; then prodding gently, begging for entrance that she more than happily provided. He kissed her softly and gently at first, taking his time to explore the curves he´d become so familiar with over the last couple of years; then deepening the kiss, his tongue twirling around hers and sucking on it gently, making her moan into his mouth as her hands went up to his neck, wrapping themselves around it and gently pulling him up on the bed and then down onto her. He slowly eased his body on hers; supporting himself on his elbows as to not crush her; closing his eyes as he found himself losing in the sensation of her mouth, kissing her passionately until he felt her gasping for breath. He flicked his tongue once more before slowing down again; kissing her tenderly, his mouth warm and soothing on her lips as he placed rows of baby kisses all across them.

Finally pulling away from her mouth, he propped himself on elbows, his eyes locking with hers as he looked at her with the mix of love and adoration radiating from them.

˝Happy birthday, love. ˝he said simply, brushing off brown curl away from her face.

˝Thank you. ˝Kate replied with a smile, blushing slightly under his loving gaze.

He kissed her once more; then jumped off of the bed.

˝I´m gonna make us some coffee while you dress. My mum is bringing Lilly around 11, so we still have time for a calm, peaceful breakfast before the little devil returns. ˝he said jokingly, tossing her the shirt and leaving the room afterwards.

Kate yawned once again and stretched herself in bed, the thought of diving in the soft covers still inviting as before; but then deciding that the quick getting up would be the easiest; so she gently pushed aside the covers and straightened herself, putting on the shirt as she slowly got out of the bed. She made her way towards the kitchen, following the appealing scent of coffee; the sigh in front of her making her stop and gasp.

The small dining table was all set: two cups of boiling coffee, napkins, a plate of vanilla creamed croissants and the thin emerald vase filled with three orange lilies. She saw him smiling at her and she made a couple of steps forward; finally noticing small brown envelope peeking beneath the vase. Pushing the hair behind her ear, she slowly sat on the chair; her eyes still traveling across the alluring envelope.

˝Well…open it. ˝Jack offered, noticing the direction of her look with a small smile.

She looked up at him; then slowly took the envelope in her hands; fingers traveling across the rough material before she opened it with one swift move. She pulled out the paper and unfolded it; her eyes quickly scanning the page as her mind was still late with comprehending what it was saying. _The paper was showing large one-store house with a porch, a balcony and what seemed like a tree-house placed on a large oak tree that occupied the central position of the garden. The window sills were painted green, with little heart-shaped openings in the middle; and on every window there were large flowerboxes, making the house look warm and inviting. The house was surrounded by a large, yellow flowered field, extending itself till the foot of rocky mountain that closed around the valley like a shell._

˝You like it? ˝asked Jack, going around the table and stopping in front of her.

˝Uhm…yeah, it´s…beautiful, but…what does this have to do with us? ˝mumbled Kate, not able to detach her eyes from the beautiful scenery on the paper.

˝There´s something else in the envelope. ˝Jack said quietly, deciding to ignore her question.

Kate looked up at him; then gently put aside the paper and reached into the envelope again. Staring confusingly at the small object resting on her palm, she looked up at him again, question evident in her eyes.

˝A key? ˝she asked, twirling the small object with her fingers. ˝What does the key have to d…˝she started, but stopped as her eyes suddenly caught something. Small writing. A dedication. ˝For Kate, with love. ˝she read aloud, her forehead wrinkling as the realization started to reach her mind.

˝It´s ours. ˝Jack explained simply, kneeling down in front of her. ˝Three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room, already equipped, with a porch and a balcony outside. Situated in the Spokane valley, 10 minutes away from the nearest store, half an hour drive from the city centre, park with children swings in the neighbor…˝

˝Jack, Jack…s-slow down for a moment. ˝she cut him off, still not able to comprehend what he was saying. ˝You´re…you´re actually telling me t-that…˝

˝That the house is ours now. I bought it 2 weeks ago and we can move in next month. ˝he hurried, grinning.

Kate looked at him blankly.

˝But…what about our life here…what about this place? ˝asked Kate, in a last attempt of her mind to convince itself that this was just her fantasy.

˝Kate…˝ Jack started, putting his hands on her knees. ˝Ever since the rescue, we managed to create a good life here. Find good jobs, nice apartment, daycare. But I was watching you. You miss nature, fresh air, freedom. You miss the feeling of running across the field, without worries, without fog, without constant noise of traffic jams. And I want to give that back to you. ˝he explained; his voice soft and tender.

˝Jack…what about your job? ˝Kate tried to rationalize with him. She couldn't believe this was happening, the house and the place were beautiful, but he was one of the best surgeons in town and she didn't want to stand on the way of his carrier.

˝Kate…I´m sure there are hospitals there too. ˝he chuckled.

˝I know that Jack. ˝Kate said, starting to get slightly irritated at the way it all sounded simply in his mind. ˝But, this is LA we´re living in, you´re famous here, your carrier h…˝

˝Kate, you know I don't care about all of that. I couldn't care less about titles, about how many times someone says to me that I´m as good as my father, about how many…˝

˝Yeah, but…˝ Kate cut him off, in one last attempt to put his happiness above hers.

˝Kate. ˝he said firmly; his voice still calm, but determined enough to make her stop talking. ˝I heard you talking about your childhood, about going on hikes with your dad, running across the fields, enjoying the fresh air. I saw that flicker in your eyes whenever you talked about it. ˝he started, intertwining her fingers with his. ˝And I wanna enable the same to our kids. I wanna see Lilly running across that yellow flowered field, I wanna sit on that porch watching sunsets with you, I wanna make love to you on the shore of one of the mountain's lakes…˝he said hoarsely, looking her straight in the eyes. ˝But most of all…˝he continued, his voice taking a serious tone now. ˝…I wanna see that flicker in the eyes of my children. ˝

Kate couldn't say anything. She could only stare at this man in front of her; _the man ready to give up his carrier, his friends, the life he got to know… just to make her happy. How she got to be that lucky, she didn't know. The only thing she knew was that, right now, in this moment, she loved him with every atom of her heart._

˝You´re…you´re serious about this, a-aren't you? ˝she mumbled when she finally managed to bring herself to be able to form words.

˝As serious as I can be. ˝he replied softly, reaching his hand up and gently wiping away one tear that escaped her eye. ˝Besides…we´re gonna need large place for running once this little fellow…˝he said, closing his hands on the top of her stomach and placing one tender kiss on the place he believed the baby´s head was. ˝…joins the family. ˝

Kate smiled through tears, not even trying anymore to stop them from pouring down. She stared at his smiling eyes for a few seconds; then jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist with such intensity that she almost threw him off of balance. But he managed to still them both quickly as his hands went behind her back, holding her tightly as he straightened on his feet.

˝I love you, I love you, I love you. ˝Kate repeated over and over into his ear as he twirled her around, _happy to make the woman he loved a dream come true._


	9. Chapter 9

Hey!

I know it´s been a while since I updated this one, but I´m still having exams, so I don't have so much time for writing anymore. Hopefully that will change after the next 2 weeks. :)

It´s my version of what should have happened after LB, with Jack, Kate, Juliet and Sayid returning from the Others.:)

˝Jack, we should take a rest. ˝said Sayid, stopping in the clearing.

˝No. ˝

˝We´ve been hiking for the past 4 hours, we need to...˝

˝NO! ˝said Jack, losing his temper. _How couldn't Sayid understand? Understand how painful was for him to be here...to be near her?_ He was tired too, but he had to keep going. He had to reach the beach and retreat to his tent, to escape her piercing look that he was feeling even though he couldn't see it.

Sayid looked at him, trying to figure it out. The Jack he knew would never continue moving with Kate in a state like this. His eyes glanced to her small figure that was sitting on the rock, her eyes closed and her head resting on her knees. He looked back at Jack. He didnt know what had happened between the two of them during their captivity, but he knew it had to be something serious to make Jack act this way. Still, he had to try again, because Kate was no capable to continue the hiking in this pace anymore.

˝Jack...˝Sayid started, taking a step closer to Jack, hoping that the more private approach would break through whichever walls the man had set around himself. ˝Listen to me. You´re not acting rational. We can't go on. Not before we took the rest. It´s getting dark and…˝ He saw Jack opening his mouth to protest, and he quickly cut him off, his voice taking a threatening tone. ˝Damn it, Jack, just look at her! ˝

But Jack took a step back, turning his head in other direction and deliberately looking away from Kate. _Damn it! Why couldn't Sayid just understand?!_ _That was precisely what he had been trying to avoid all this time. To look at her. To meet her beautifully sad emerald eyes. ´Cause he knew that he couldn't take it. Couldn't hold them anymore. He knew that whatever barriers he had managed to set ever since she had come back for him…that all of them would simply…collapse…if he let his eyes meeting hers. And he couldn't let that. He didn't want to let it. Those barriers were his only way of self-protection…self-protection from the pain that threatened to rip his heart in even smaller pieces than it had already been ripped into. No. He had to keep his facade._

˝We´re continuing. ˝he said after a moment of pause. ˝We´re moving on. ˝he repeated and turned away, hoping that his voice sounded more firmly than how he was feeling.

Sayid just stood there and watched as Jack picked up his backpack and put it on his back. He didn't know what to think anymore. This wasn't the friend he knew. ˝Jack…˝he started again, trying to find some way to reason with the man.

˝Give up, Sayid. ˝a faint voice echoed from the behind. ˝He doesn't care anymore. ˝the voice continued; causing Jack to stop in his tracks and turn around. He watched as Kate rose up on her feet and took a few steps forward. ˝He doesn't care how I feel. ˝she said, still approaching them; talking to Sayid, but her eyes fixed on Jack. ˝He doesn't care how it felt to be so scared, so frightened…how it felt to…to lose hope. ˝she said, causing Jack to wince. ˝He doesn't care how…how hard it was to go, to leave him there. How it felt going home and knew he might have been dead by then. ˝she continued, not caring about holding back the tears anymore. She arrived in front of Jack and stopped, her eyes piercing his and not letting them to look away. ˝He doesn't care that I spent the last 3 days turning the jungle upside down to find him! ˝she said, her voice going higher and higher and her eyes furiously looking at him. ˝He doesn't care how it was to ask if he was alive and then find him _playing_ with…with them. ˝she screamed, emphasizing the word playing. ˝He doesn't care how it felt to come back for him again, to defy the storm, the monster…and then find him acting like…LIKE HE DOESN'T CARE! ˝she said, screaming now. She was slightly aware that Sayid and Juliet were looking at her astonished, but she didn't care. She had to let it out, let it out of her heart, ´cause she felt she would explode if she kept holding it all inside. ˝HE DOESN'T CARE THAT I´VE SPENT THE LAST 2 WEEKS EATING NOTHING BUT BEARS FISHBISCUITS AND DRIED BREAD…˝she screamed; her words making Jack to finally look at her…to really look at her. ˝WHILE HE WAS ENJOYING HIS PIANO AND BED AND WHO KNOWS ELSE…˝ he heard her continuing to scream while his eyes slowly traced her face. Only now he noticed the dark circles around her eyes…or the small beads of sweat that were glistening on her forehead. Her skin was pale and her hand was shaking a bit as she poked him in the chest, fury overtaking her. ˝HE DOESN'T CARE THAT I HAVENT SLEPT FOR 5 DAYS WORRYING SICK ABOUT HIM! ˝she shouted again, coming into Jack´s face. ˝THE ONLY THING HE CARES ABOUT IS HIMSELF AND HIS NEW…FRIEND! ˝she yelled with disgust. She opened her mouth to say something more, but closed them abruptly, suddenly feeling nauseous. She resisted the temptation to hold onto him, and instead closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to fight the dizziness away. Last thing she needed was to pass out in a moment like this. Breathe, just…breathe. – she reminded herself; but her brain was telling her something else as the darkness was becoming larger and larger. Last thing she heard before everything faded away was Jack and Sayid´s voice calling her…and then everything went blank…

˝Kate! KATE! ˝yelled Jack as he grabbed her, her body slackening in his arms. He sank down on his knees and gently put her down, Sayid kneeling down beside him and placing the backpack under her head. ˝Water! Get me some water! ˝he shouted to Juliet without even looking at her. He slowly laid Kate´s head on the backpack, gently caressing her face with his hands as he tried to bring her to consciousness. ˝Kate! Kate, come on, baby, wake up. ˝he whispered as he put his hand on her forehead. She was burning. He felt Juliet passing him the water and he took it without even realizing, his fingers quickly opening the cork as he leaned down and spilled a bit of the fluid on her mouth. ˝Come on, Kate, drink it. ˝he said, but with no use, ´cause the water only spilled down her chin. His mind flashed on the day when Sawyer was sick and he quickly moved, lifting her head a bit and coming to sit behind her. With his left hand firmly supporting her weight, he brought his right one in front of her lips, his voice whispering softly into her ear as he pleaded her to open her mouth. That served the purpose and he felt her swallowing slowly, until she gagged and started coughing.

˝It´s okay, you´re gonna be okay. ˝he whispered quietly as he held her.

Sayid watched as his friend placed a small kiss on the top of Kate´s head and then buried his face into her hair, and he sighed with relief. _Their Jack was back._

˝You´re gonna be okay. ˝Jack repeated again, gently rocking her until she stopped coughing and stilled in his arms. He looked at Sayid and he saw the man understood what he meant.

˝I´m gonna gather the firewood. ˝said Sayid, getting up. Jack just nodded, and Sayid nodded back, letting Jack know that he _did_ understand.

˝Can I do anything? ˝Juliet asked quietly, standing awkwardly next to the couple. She saw the tenderness and worry with which Jack treated sick Kate and she knew that she had lost the battle before it even started. _He loved Kate and that wouldn't change anytime soon._

˝What? ˝said Jack, finally becoming aware that she was standing there. ˝Oh, yeah, yeah, you could…uhm…you could take out the blanket from the bag, she´s burning up and I have to try to get it down before she passes out again. ˝

Juliet said nothing, but went to the bag quietly and came back with the thick brown blanket. ˝Here. ˝she slowly passed it to Jack.

˝Uhm…can you support her back while I get in front? ˝Jack asked her and Juliet kneeled down quietly, pulling Kate back to lean against her. She felt the heat radiating from the woman´s body and she felt guilty for treating her the way they treated her back in captivity.

˝Kate…˝ said Jack as he kneeled down in front of her. He took her for her shoulders and shook her a bit, trying to get her to focus. ˝Kate…Kate, I need you to open your eyes. ˝he said, and saw her moving her head a bit, but then closing them again. ˝Kate, come on, please open your eyes. That´s right...that´s right, babe…now, focus on my voice. ˝he said as she looked at him, barely keeping her head up. ˝What hurts? Kate... focus on my words. ˝he asked as he saw her losing attention again. ˝What hurts? ˝

˝Sleepy… ˝she mumbled quietly, feeling like her head would explode any second.

˝Anything else? ˝he asked quietly, knowing she needs to rest, but wanting to make sure it wasn't something more serious. ˝Kate, anything else? ˝he hurried, knowing he was losing her and that all she wanted now was to sleep.

˝C-cold…it´s s-so c-cold. ˝she shivered; feeling cold despite her whole body burning like on fire.

˝It´s gonna be okay. I´m gonna warm you up. ˝he said, throwing the blanket around her back. She leaned forward against him and he felt her arms loosely wrapping themselves around his waist as she sank her body into his chest, searching for warmth and comfort from them. He smiled and gently kissed the top of her head before reaching down and lifting her up. He used his hands to wrap her legs around his waist and then slowly got up, pausing for a moment until he was sure he was stabile on his feet. He walked with her in his arms a few meters; finally stopping by when he reach the tree. Turning them around, he slowly sat down, careful not to move her too much because he knew that every abrupt movement was making her feel like she was spinning at high speed. He pulled her down with him and leaned his back against the tree. He felt her shifting a bit until she nestled comfortably in his lap and he smiled as he heard her inhaling his scent and then relaxing back. He pulled the blanket and wrapped it more tightly around her shoulders, leaning his cheek against her head and closing his eyes. He didn't even hear Sayid coming back until the man addressed him.

˝How is she? ˝

Jack looked up. ˝She´s gonna be okay. ˝he said as he watched Sayid placing the woods on the ground. ˝She´s still burning up, but she´s gonna be okay. ˝he repeated more for himself than for Sayid.

Sayid nodded and returned to his task of starting the fire. He saw Juliet approaching him.

˝Here. ˝she said in her usual calm voice, handing him the matches. ˝It´ll be quicker that way. ˝she added, casting a small smile. Sayid looked at her; then nodded slowly, taking the matches, starting one and then throwing in on the pile of woods. Small flashes sparkled immediately and turned slowly into bigger flames, illuminating the little clearing around them. He blew a couple of times to make it bigger; then got up, taking his backpack and a gun. ˝I´m gonna keep watch tonight. ˝he said and nodded to Jack. Jack nodded back and smiled at him gratefully.

˝I´ll join you too…if it´s okay, I mean. ˝offered Juliet. Sayid looked at her. He studied her face for a while, and then nodded slowly. _She wanted to give the two of them some time alone too._ ˝Thank you. ˝she thanked him and went to grab her stuff.

˝We´ll be right behind the corner. ˝Sayid showed Jack and then left slowly with Juliet following him.

Jack watched them leave; then turned his attention to Kate again. She was still trembling, but it seemed to him that the shivers were getting smaller. He reached his hand and removed a few disobedient curls that had fallen on her cheek. He studied her face; his eyes traveling her long eyelashes, decorated with small shiny beads of tears remained; past her flushed cheeks…onto her round lips, semi-parted. She looked so peaceful, like a baby sleeping in her crib. He leaned down and gently kissed the top of her forehead.

˝J-Jack? ˝he heard her whispering quietly, and he pulled away to look at her.

˝Yeah, Kate, it´s me. ˝he replied quietly.

˝Jack, I´m…I´m s-sorry. ˝she whispered, her voice so low that he wouldn't even heard it if he wasn't paying attention.

He knew what she was sorry for. And suddenly, it didn't matter anymore._ What she had done…what had happened back there, in the cages…it didn't matter anymore. The only things that matter were that she was okay…and with him again._ He smiled, and leaned down to place another kiss on the top of her head.

˝It´s okay. I´m sorry too. ˝he said quietly, hoping that she could recognize the sincerity in his voice. ˝How are you feeling? ˝he asked, touching her forehead to check her fever. She was still warm, although less than 20 minutes ago.

˝Sleepy. ˝she replied, making him laugh.

˝Then go to sleep. ˝he said, pulling her forward so that now her upper body was comfortably lying on his torso. ˝I won't go anywhere. ˝he reassured her, and felt her body relaxing. He remained still for a couple of minutes, listening to the sound of her becoming steadier and steadier, until she finally drifted to sleep. His arms were wrapped around her back; his hand making soothing circles across the surface. He leaned his head sideways to look down at her, and as he watched her back lifting up and down in the rhythm of her breathing, he realized that he was feeling truly, really happy for the first time since he saw her entering that hydra station. He smiled and then let his body relax under her weight, closing his eyes as the sound of her breathing lulled him to sleep…

Please R&R ;)


	10. Chapter 10

Tnx for the comments. hugs

Considering that the last one was a bit too angsty, here is fluff / flirting filled one. ;)

She smiled as she found him sitting in one of the armchairs in the computer room. He was wearing jeans and his brown sleeveless shirt; the one that particularly emphasized the strong muscles surrounding the tattoos. She smiled again, wondering if the reason he was wearing precisely that shirt had anything to do with her confessing him the other day that it was her favorite one.

She watched him leaning back and forth in the chair; obviously bored to death. She thought he´d enjoy to finally get a chance to be on his own; with all those people constantly needing a doctor, a leader or just a friend. But no, there he was – alone..._and_ bored.

˝Well this is a first…Monday, middle of the day; you…sitting here…doing nothing. _Amazing_. ˝she said with a smile, announcing her presence.

˝Hey. ˝he said softly, looking up at her; his eyes immediately lightening up, as if someone had switched the light in. ˝And I _am_ doing something. ˝he added smugly; his lips spreading into a small grin as he accepted the game.

˝Oh, yeah? And what´s that? ˝she asked, leaning on the door frame and tilting her head a bit.

˝I´m swinging. ˝he replied, tossing her a wide grin. ˝The chair goes back, then forth and – you swing. ˝he explained simply, grinning playfully.

Kate smiled. _He was good at this_. ˝Impressive. ˝she replied coolly; but feeling a little jolt of happiness at noticing that he remembered their conversation that day. She looked around herself. ˝You alone? ˝she asked, raising her eyebrows a bit.

˝Yep. Charlie and Hurley were here, but they left half an hour ago. ˝

He watched her stepping out of the doorway and approaching him, walking a little bit too slow for it not to be of flirting nature. He noticed she was smiling, apparently aware that she had his full attention and obviously enjoying it. He smiled too, deciding to go with the game.

˝No one else? ˝Kate asked as she came to stand in front of him. Jack shook his head, amused. ˝Hmmm…˝she mumbled, leaning above him and supporting herself on his shoulders. ˝So that leaves the two of us…_alone_? ˝she whispered seductively into his ear, making him close his eyes and take a deep breath in order to be able to function normal again.

He couldn't see it, but he was sure she wore a huge grin on her face right then; enjoying to witness the effect she had on him_. Fine. Two could play the same game_. – he thought, and before she could even have time to acknowledge it, he had her sitting in his lap; her legs dangling from the chair's sides and her arms wrapping themselves around his neck. She leaned down and the second later, their lips connected; nothing mattering from that moment on except the passionate rhythm of their kisses; that were becoming more and more demanding as seconds passed. She leaned more into him as he took the control; slowing down her ministrations; kissing her softly, gently, his lips barely quivering upon hers as he slowly pulled away, giving them both a chance to regain their breaths.

˝Wow…what was that for? ˝Jack asked when he finally got down from high. _He couldn't remember her ever kissing him with so much passion before._

˝_That_…was because I missed you. ˝she stated, her fingers absently circling small circles at the back of his neck. ˝And _this_…˝ she added, leaning forward again and resting her lips on his; not moving at first, just enjoying the connection for a while; then probing him slightly with the tip of her tongue to allow her entrance, to which he more than happily agreed, welcoming her sweet taste. Their tongues dueled for a while, slowly and passionately, both of them wanting to win in this game of a fervent dance; the dance they had got so used to in the last couple of weeks that they couldn't imagine how they could have ever lived without it. The tango of their tongues gradually turned into waltz as the need for oxygen became too big to ignore, and they pulled away from each other; their foreheads connected, their eyes closed and their lips slightly parted as they fought to regain the breath.

˝_This_ was…to wish you a happy birthday. ˝Kate mumbled softly when she felt strong enough again for words.

Jack´s head snapped up; confusion evident on his voice as he asked: ˝When…How…? ˝

Kate smiled. _He was adorable when he was confused._

˝Magical powers. ˝she said, flashing him a grin. ˝And I guess the fact that I managed to peek in Hurley´s survivors list had something to do with it too. ˝she added, smiling proudly of herself.

˝Oh, I see… ˝said Jack, raising his eyebrows playfully and giving her a small peck. ˝Does that mean I get the present too? ˝he asked with a mischievous smile and pulled her closer in his lap.

Kate smiled at his move and gave him a brief kiss; then turned serious again.

˝As a matter of fact you do. But…˝she said, putting her fingers on his lips. ˝…you´ll have to earn it first. ˝she finished with a smile.

˝Oh, yeah? ˝said Jack. ˝And how do I do that? ˝he asked, gently nibbling on her earlobe and then moving down to her neck; hearing a slight moan escaping her mouth and grinning at his achievement.

˝As much I enjoy that idea, I´ll have to say no. ˝she replied, pulling away from him. ˝You´ll have to guess it. ˝she said, clapping her hands happily.

˝Guess it? ˝said Jack, a bit disappointed. _He liked his idea much better._

˝Yep. ˝Kate nodded. ˝You know, like that old associations game. ˝

Jack contemplated the idea for a while. He had always been good at guessing games in college, so…it could be fun.

˝Okay, I´m ready. ˝he said. ˝Shoot. ˝

˝Okay. ˝said Kate, shifting a bit to get more comfortable. Jack smiled at her efforts and brought his hands behind her back, pulling her closer a bit so that she was now sitting on his thighs. He flashed her a smile and she smiled back; kissing the tip of his nose. ˝Thank you. And now – back on the game. You ready? ˝

˝More than ready. ˝he said smugly.

˝Okay – it´s a 4 letters word, starting with B and finishing with Y. And it´s NOT my body, Jack. ˝she added, rolling her eyes at the mischievous grin illuminating his face as his eyes scanned her upside down.

˝Oh. ˝he mumbled, not able to hide his disappointment. Kate grinned. _He was cute when he was frowning._ ˝Hmmm…what else could it be? ˝he said, scratching his head. ˝Bogy? Buoy? ˝

˝Do you give up? ˝she asked, grinning.

Jack looked at her. He wasn't exactly a type of person to give up, but he had no idea it was and, quite frankly, he wasn't so much in a mood for playing this game when he could think of at least 5 things he could do with her right now, all of them having something to do with him, her and the two of them being alone in the hatch. So he just shrugged his shoulders: ˝Fine. I give up. ˝

˝Close your eyes. ˝she whispered in his ear.

Jack rolled his eyes, but gave up. He felt her shifting a bit, like she was pulling something out of her back pocket and then spreading his fingers and laying something on his palm. He touched it. It was thin and solid. Something like…_a small stick_. But why would Kate give me a stick? – he wondered, his forehead frowning in confusion.

˝You can open your eyes now. ˝she said with a smile, amused by his expression.

She watched him as he did so and had to force herself hard not to start laughing when his whole body froze as his eyes fell on a little stick in his hand. She followed his facial expressions and could practically see the little wheels in his brain rolling as he struggled to perceive what the thing he was looking at meant.

˝I…uhm…this…˝he started, the words making no sense whatsoever. ˝Does this…˝he tried again, but the lines vanished in the air; and he simply brought his attention to two little pink lines on the white stick.

Kate smiled. She had had a pretty much similar reaction when she found out, and she was glad she had Sun there as a support. She thought a little whether she should help him out or let him struggle a bit more, ´cause he looked so damn cute trying to come up with words; but then decided for the first options, realizing that going with the second one would be more than cruel.

˝I´m gonna help you a bit with this, babe, ´cause I think you´ve embarrassed yourself enough already…˝she said, smiling slightly and placing one small kiss on his cheek. She slowly pulled away and covered his hands with hers; the small white stick lying in between them. ˝Yes, this is a pregnancy test and yes, we´re going to have a baby. ˝she said; her voice trembling with emotion a bit as she pronounced the last part.

She watched as he raised his head and met her look; noticing a small tear escaping the corner of his eye. She smiled softly and leaned forward, cupping his face in her hands.

˝Happy birthday, love. ˝she said quietly…and then closed the distance that was separating them; the kiss turning out into the most warmhearted they had ever shared before…


	11. Chapter 11

Hey! I know I haven't posted anything in a while, but…college started and I didn't have much time for writing. Hopefully, that should change soon, because I already have a few ideas, so I should be able to update this one more regular.

This one is kinda Jate&Friends mix – or, more precisely, do you remember that eppy of Friends when Monica and Chandler were trying to keep their relationship secret; but in the end Rachel and Phoebe found out about it and decided to tease them a bit (with Phoebe seducing Chandler and Chandler accepting the challenge because Monica didn't want to back off)? Well, I watched it a few days ago and wrote a similar scene, only with Jate and Losties. Reviews are appreciated :)

p.s. It´s a two-shot. Oh, and - I dont own Lost _or_ Friends...obviously.

_**The One where Everyone Finds Out**_

_Jack and Kate got together, but they still don't want to make it public, so they´re sneaking around whenever they have chance. The only one knowing about it is Hurley, but he vowed not so say anything. _

_Inside the hatch…_

˝Strange. ˝said Charlie as Hurley and him entered the hatch. ˝Shouldn't someone be here? ˝

˝Yeah. ˝replied Hurley, closing the door behind him. ˝I thought today is Jack and Kate´s shif…oh. ˝

˝Oh what? ˝Charlie asked suspiciously.

˝Oh nothing. ˝mumbled Hurley, trying to avoid Charlie´s eyes.

˝Hurley, what´s go…?˝

˝I told you – nothing. They probably went out for a fresh air or something. Besides, we´re here now, so…the alarm is safe now, okay? So why don't we put on some record and play a round of cards?˝

˝Okay, I guess. ˝Charlie agreed, shrugging his shoulders. ˝What would you like to listen? ˝he asked as he reached the gramophone.

˝I don't know. How about… Geronimo Jackson? ˝

˝Geronimo Jackson it is. ˝Charlie said, putting the record on; and the light tones of melody soon filled the room.

˝Hey, dude, want me to make us some sandwiches? ˝Hurley´s voice echoed from the kitchen.

˝Sure. Listen, I´m just gonna go and use the bathroom, ok? ˝Charlie excuses himself; heading for the bathroom.

He reached for the door and opened it, careful to do it slowly because he hated the creaky sound the door produced when opened quickly. He was just about to step in when…

˝Dude, you okay? ˝Hurley asked as he saw his friend coming out from the corridor, his face pale and bewildered expression in his eyes.

˝I…eh…I…they…I…BLOODY HELL! ˝

˝Charlie? ˝Hurley repeated coming out of the kitchen, this time really concerned.

˝I…just…they…BLOODY HELL! ˝Charlie repeated; his eyes wider and wider.

˝You what, dude? And who are _they_? ˝asked Hurley, looking at the British man like he was afraid for his mental health.

˝Jack. Kate. Bathroom…Bloody. RIPPING. each others. CLOTHES OFF! ˝Charlie mumbled, shaking his head in astonishment.

˝Oh. ˝said Hurley awkwardly. ˝Come on, sit down a bit, it´ll help you clear you head. ˝he said, leading him to the couch. ˝M-maybe you misunderstood it, maybe they w-were just…˝

˝I didn't misunderstand anything, they were…I mean - _are_ bloody DOING IT! ˝Charlie exclaimed.

˝Ssssssh…keep it down! ˝said Hurley nervously.

˝Wait…why aren't you as surprised as I am? ˝Charlie suddenly asked. ˝Wait a sec, you knew it?! ˝he added suspiciously, seeing guilty look on Hurley´s face. ˝You knew it! ˝he repeated, jumping up from the couch. ˝You KNEW it and you didn't TELL ME?! ˝

˝Keep it down, dammit! Do you _want_ them to hear us?! ˝he said pointing to the door. Charlie followed his motion and calmed himself down a bit. ˝Yes, I knew it. I caught them 2 weeks ago. ˝Hurley explained embarrassingly. ˝They made me promise not to tell anyone. ˝

˝Yeah, but…Why didn't you tell _me_? ˝Charlie asked, offenses.

˝Dude, would _you_ like to infuriate an ex CRIMINAL?! ˝

˝Oh. You have the point. ˝Charlie agreed, an uneasy expression on his face. ˝So…who else knows? ˝

˝Just me. ˝replied Hurley. ˝And Sun. And Desmond. ˝he added guiltily a couple of seconds later.

˝Desmond? ˝asked Charlie confused. ˝What does Desmond have to do w…? ˝

˝Flashes, dude, flashes. ˝

˝Oh. So…what are we gonna do now? ˝he asked.

˝Nothing. We´re just gonna mind our own business and _you_ wont reveal in any way that you know. ˝Hurley threatened, his eyes pleading.

˝Wow…you´re really afraid of her, huh? ˝

Hurley just shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly the alarm started beeping.

˝Quick, pretend we were doing something! ˝Hurley shouted before running to the computer room to enter the numbers.

Charlie grabbed the nearest magazine and threw himself in the armchair.

_The next second…_

˝I´ll get it and then we can…oh. Charlie! W-what are you d-doing here? ˝Jack mumbled, freezing in the hallway.

˝Oh, I…˝ started Charlie, looking uncomfortable.

˝I got the alarm, Charl…Oh, Jack, you´re here too. ˝said Hurley, faking surprise.

˝Yeah, I was just…˝

˝Jack, why is it taking so lon…g? ˝Kate called out, freezing in the spot too at the sight of Charlie and Hurley.

˝Oh, guys...what…what are you… doing here? ˝she managed to mumble; her cheeks going flushed a bit.

˝We just thought about coming down and hanging out a bit, maybe reading some magazines… ˝replied Charlie. ˝So, where you guys were – we thought the hatch was empty? ˝he added with a smirk on his face; his eyes scanning down Jack´s shirt, which was ripped open, first few buttons missing. Jack seemed to become aware of it too.

˝Uhm…we were just…My buttons fell off and Kate here was helping me to s-stitch them b-back. ˝he muttered, looking down in a lousy attempt to avoid Charlie´s eyes.

˝Buttons. Right. ˝Charlie whispered sarcastically. Hurley shot him a warning look.

˝So, uhm…could you guys take the shift then – we…we could use some fresh air. ˝asked Kate, trying to straighten out her hair.

˝Use some air my a. ˝Charlie muttered in his beard. ˝More like ´cool down´˝.

˝Excuse me? ˝Kate said, confused.

˝He just said it was cool. ˝Hurley interrupted before Charlie had a chance to speak. ˝Cool. That…that we´ll take the shift. ˝he added, dragging Charlie away and leaving Jate confused.

˝Weird. ˝said Jack looking after the two; but they were soon forgotten in his mind as Kate took his hand and started dragging him towards the exit.

˝Hey, guys, what are you doing? ˝asked Hurley as he approached Sun, Claire and Charlie that were sitting with Aaron in front of Claire´s tent.

˝Oh, nothing, just talking about Jack and Kate. ˝said Sun nonchalantly, making place for Hurley to sit.

˝You mean how they´re just friends and nothing more? ˝asked Hurley, blinking at Sun and Charlie and trying to point at Claire unnoticed, but failing to.

˝Hurley, are you okay? ˝asked Sun, concerned. ˝You got an eyelash in your eye or…? ˝

˝I´m fine. ˝he replied, trying once more to allude to Claire.

˝Hurley, it´s okay, I know. ˝Claire said, smiling.

˝What? You…you TOLD her?! ˝he shouted incredulously, turning to glare to Charlie.

˝I had to, man. She threatened me to not let me to come into her tent an…˝

˝Okay, okay, I don't need details! ˝hurried Hurley, covering his ears. Sun and Claire laughed. ˝So…˝started Hurley after a minute or two. ˝Maybe this isnt a bad thing at all. ˝he said, looking at the three of them. ˝I mean, now enough of us know and we can just tell them we know. ˝he explained, suddenly a lot happier. ˝There will be no more secrets and I´ll be…˝

˝_Or_ , we could _not_ tell them we know and have a little fun of our own. ˝offered Claire, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.

˝What do you mean? ˝asked Sun, confused.

˝Come closer you three. ˝Claire whispered in conspiracy mode. Sun, Charlie and Hurley leaned forward to hear better. ˝…And _that_´s what we´ll do. ˝Claire finished, smirking.

˝Okay, you ready? ˝˝asked Claire as she and Sun watched Jack, who was sitting on his own in the pantry, eating dinner.

˝Yeah, but…why does it have to be me? ˝moaned Sun.

˝Okay, a) because you´re the only other female that knows about them, and I don't think Jack would find it exactly convincing if Hurley or Charlie suddenly started to hit on him and b) I cant because I´m his sister! ˝Claire explained happily. ˝Now, stop whining and go there! ˝she finished and pushed Sun forward a bit.

˝Fine! ˝Sun groaned, took a deep breath and was about to head towards Jack when Claire suddenly called for her:

˝Wait! ˝

˝What? ˝

˝Nothing, just this. ˝said Claire and with a fascinating speed pulled out a hair band out of Sun´s hair, causing the silky black hair to stretch over Sun´s shoulders. ˝There. Now – go! ˝

Sun opened her mouth to say something, but smartly decided to pass over it, so she just rolled her eyes at her friend and made her way towards Jack.

˝Hey, Jack. ˝Sun greeted, putting on a seductive voice.

˝Oh, hey, Sun. ˝Jack greeted back, oblivious to her plan. ˝What are you doing here so late? ˝

˝Oh, nothing special – I just couldn't sleep so I thought I should take a walk and clear my head a bit. ˝Sun said, sitting next to him, and putting on sad and troubled face.

˝Well, are you okay? Why couldn't you sleep? ˝said Jack, his doctor side taking over. ˝Do you have any headaches, or nausea, or…? ˝

˝Oh, no, no…it´s nothing like that. ˝Sun hurried. ˝It´s just…I have a lot on my mind lately. ˝

˝Oh. ˝said Jack, not sure what he should say to that. ˝Well, do you want to talk about it or…I mean, I know I´m not Kate or Claire, but…if you need someone to talk to, I´m here. ˝he offered.

˝Tnx, Jack ˝said Sun, placing her hand on top of his. Jack looked at it confused; but then figured out she probably needed some comfort, so he decided to say nothing. ˝You´re really kind, but I can't tell you this. ˝

˝Oh, okay then. ˝Jack replied, shrugging his shoulders.

˝Well, actually, you're the one person I can't tell this to. And the one person I want to the most. ˝she continued, looking down.

˝Sun, what´s going on? ˝Jack asked, now seriously concerned. ˝Come on, just tell me. ˝he added kindly.

˝Well, it´s just…you know…things haven't been going exactly good for…for Jin and me lately. ˝

˝Oh. ˝said Jack, shocked. _He definitely didnt expect that one. Whenever he would see them, they looked like they were in love with each other more and more_. ˝Well, uhm…I´m…I´m sorry. ˝

˝Yeah, but…that´s not all. ˝

˝It isn't? ˝repeated Jack, confused. What else could it possibly be?

˝No. You see, the thing is…the reason why the things haven't been going well for Jin and me is that…is that there´s another man. ˝

˝There´s…oh! ˝Jack exclaimed as the information finally got to his brain.

˝You see…I´m crazy about that guy; sexually crazy, but…I don't think he knows the way I feel about him. ˝she said, and took his hand in hers.

Jack looked down at their hands, confused. He didn't like where this was going. ˝Uhm…I…You know what? ˝he said, freeing himself of her touch and getting up. ˝Why don't you wait here and I´ll go and bring Kate, so she could…˝

˝No, no, no, you can't tell this to anyone! ˝Sun hurried, grabbing him for the arm. ˝Especially not to Kate! ˝

˝Uhm…why not? ˝Jack asked, bewildered. This was getting weirder and weirder.

˝Well, because…because that guy is you, Jack. ˝Sun finished quietly, trying her best to stay concentrated and not mess it up, because this was the most important part of their plan.

˝I´m…I´m…WHAT?! ˝Jack asked, wondering if everyone had been eating crazy mushrooms or something similar.

˝Don't fret about it, Jack. ˝Sun said. ˝You don't have to decide now. ˝she continued, getting up. ˝It´s just something to think about. I know _I_ will. ˝she added seductively; then walked away.

Jack remained on the spot, thunderstruck. _Has Sun just suggested him what he thought she had suggested him?!_

_Few meters away…_

˝How did it go? How did it go? ˝Claire squeed, practically bouncing up and down from excitement.

˝He took the bait! We´re in! ˝Sun replied, grinning proudly.

˝Uhm, Kate…can I…can I talk to you for a second? ˝˝Jack asked reaching Kate, who was chatting with Claire and Charlie in front of their tent.

˝Yeah, sure, what´s up? ˝Kate said nonchalantly.

˝Uhm…in private. ˝Jack mumbled, embarrassed.

˝Uhm…okay, sure. ˝replied Kate, looking at him concerned. _He wasn't acting like himself_.

˝Jack, what´s going on? ˝she asked when they were far enough from the rest of the camp.

˝I, uhm…I…well, I think that…˝

˝You think he wants to invite her to another booty call? ˝asked Charlie, looking at the pair.

˝No. He called her to tell her about what happened with Sun.˝

˝How can you be sure? ˝Charlie said, puzzled.

˝Trust me. See – he´s telling her right now…now they´re looking towards Sun´s tent…Kate is frowning…they both look confused. ˝Claire kept reporting.

˝So you´re telling me that Sun was hitting on you? ˝Kate repeated, incredulous.

˝Yeah, I´m telling you, she told me that…˝

˝Are you sure you didn't dream it? ˝

˝Kate, come on…I think I can tell when I´m awake.˝

˝Then you simply misunderstood it. Sun and Jin are happy – I heard them talking about wanting to have a baby. ˝

˝But…˝

˝You know what, let´s just drop it. We finally have a chance to be alone again and I can think of lots of better thinks we could do than worrying about our married friend flirting with you. ˝Kate winked, taking him by the hand and dragging him in the jungle.

˝Cough booty call cough˝ said Charlie, flashing Claire a grin and walking away before she had a chance to reply.

˝Here comes _Plan number 2_. ˝Claire said grinningly to Charlie and Sun as they watched Jack and Kate packing their backpacks.

˝What are you going to do? ˝asked Charlie excited.

˝Just watch. ˝replied Claire. ˝Oh and, you go and hide; we don't want them to see you here. ˝she said to Sun.

˝Okay, see you later. ˝said Sun and, second later, disappeared inside her tent.

˝Here we go…˝commented Claire, watching Jack and Kate passing by them. ˝Hey, Jack. Hey, Kate. ˝she said politely.

˝Oh, hey, Claire. Hey, Charlie. ˝the two of them replied, reflexively shifting a bit to make more space between each other.

˝Where are you two going? ˝Charlie joined, with a suspicious smirk on his face.

˝Oh, we were just going to…˝started Jack, trying to get out of the situation.

˝To do some laundry. ˝Kate jumped it, her eyes stopping at the clothes that were hanging from the trees a little further.

˝Yeah, laundry. ˝accepted Jack, taking a mental note to find a way to thank Kate properly for always getting him out of the embarrassing situations. ˝There´s a creek down there and…˝he started, but was cut off by Claire that suddenly jumped on her feet.

˝Great, could you wait just for a second, please? ˝she exclaimed, and ran to the tent, leaving both Jate and Charlie to look after her confused. She returned a few seconds later, carrying a huge bag and offering it to them. ˝ Oh, here you go! You don't mind, do you? You would really help me out a lot, considering that I don't have much time for it with Aaron and everything! Thanks, bro! ˝she said, kissing him on the cheek and, before either of them had a chance to reply, she dissapeared, dragging Charlie with her.

Jack and Kate looked at each other.

˝Well, I guess we _will_ be doing laundry after all. ˝said Jack sulkily, throwing the bag over his shoulders and walking away.

˝Wow…this is fun. ˝said Kate, kneeling down on the sand and rubbing what seemed to be Aaron´s bib; the tone of her voice revealing that she wasn't having fun at all.

˝I´m sorry.˝ Jack apologized. ˝But what was I supposed to do? Tell her no? She practically threw it in my arms! Besides, _you_ are not allowed to complain. ˝he added grudgingly, pointing his head at the cloth he was washing – having got the duty of washing the diapers.

Kate looked at him and smiled.

˝I didn't mean to blame it on you. ˝she said apologizing, leaning forward and giving him a soft kiss. ˝It´s just…strange. You know, she got that bag too quickly – almost like she had been planni…OMG! ˝

˝What?! ˝asked Jack concerned.

˝That´s it! She _had_ been planning it! She…It all fits now! ˝she exclaimed knowingly, her eyes flickering. ˝The giddily way in which she talked to us…Charlie´s behavior at the hatch…Sun´s flirting…˝she listed, the brain cells working fast in her head.

˝Uhm, Kate…˝Jack called pleadingly.

˝What? Oh, sorry. ˝she said, and turned to look at him. ˝Don't you see? It all fits. They _know_. ˝she explained looking at the confused expression on Jack´s face. ˝They know about us. They´ve known it for a few days and that´s why they´ve been…˝

˝…teasing us. ˝he finished for her. ˝Wow. ˝

They both remained quiet for a while.

˝Come on, let´s go! ˝Kate suddenly said, jumping up on her feet.

˝W-what? Where? ˝Jack asked bewildered, getting up.

˝To find Hurley. ˝

˝Who else? ˝

˝K-Kate, I…˝ Hurley mumbled, wishing there was some way to escape.

˝Who _else_, Hurley?! ˝Kate repeated, getting into him.

˝S-sun, Charlie, Claire, a-and…D-Desmond. ˝he muttered quietly.

˝Desmond? ˝asked Jack, confused. ˝What does Desmond have to do with us? ˝

˝Uhm, dude…˝Hurley started, looking at him knowingly.

˝What does…Oh my God! ˝Jack exclaimed. He looked at Kate, both of them with half embarrassed half disgusted looks on their faces.

˝In his defense…he…he said he forced the visions out of his head as soon as he could. ˝said Hurley, as embarrassed as they were. ˝But…but, dudes, look at its bright side! ˝

Jack and Kate looked at him with the look that was saying ˝_And what could that be_?!˝ Hurley seemed to understand it.

˝It's over now, right? You can tell them that you know they know and they we all can go back to knowing absolutely nothing! ˝he explained cheerfully.

˝_Unless_…˝started Kate, her eyes getting the flicker of mischievousness.

˝No! Not unless again! ˝Hurley pleaded. ˝I can't keep up with who-knows-what anymore. ˝

˝You won't have to do anything. Just keep quiet and don't tell them that we know that they know. ˝Kate said quickly; then turned to Jack. ˝So…are you in? ˝she asked him with a playful grin on her face.

˝Definitely! ˝said Jack, grinning too. ˝So…what should we do? ˝

˝Ok, here´s the thing…˝

˝And here it goes again…˝Hurley sighed, closing the door behind.


	12. Chapter 12

Tnx for the reviews, guys hug Part 2 is up now. I´m re-watching Friends when i´m bored lately, so maybe there´ll be more Friends themed ones in the future. ;)

˝You ready? ˝

˝Only if you are. ˝Kate replied sweetly, and then leaned forward to give him one small peck on the lips. ˝Good luck. ˝she kissed him again and then disappeared inside her tent, from where she planned to watch the scene.

Jack took a deep breath; then headed towards the end of the beach, where Sun was talking with Rose and Bernard.

˝Oh, hey, Jack, what brings you here? ˝Rose greeted, causing Sun to turn abruptly as she heard his name.

˝Hey, Rose. ˝said Jack smiling. ˝Bernard. ˝he nodded to the man. ˝Well, I was just wondering if I could borrow Sun for a few minutes? ˝he asked, trying to force back a smile when he saw Sun grimacing in surprise.

˝Oh, sure, no problem. We were just about to go anyway. ˝Rose said, picking up her stuff. ˝Bye, Sun. ˝

˝Bye. ˝Sun managed to squeal. _What did Jack want from her? Just be cool_. –she reminded herself. ˝So, Jack, what brings you here? ˝she said, playing her seductive card again.

˝I´m…uhm…I´ve been thinking about you the whole day. ˝he said, looking down and trying to pull off the illusion that he was uncomfortable with the situation.

˝Huh? ˝Sun slipped out before she thought about it. ˝I mean…˝she hurried to correct herself. ˝…you have? ˝

˝Yeah. Uhm…Well you know that thing you said before, about us doing…uhm…well, anyway, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued. ˝

˝Really? ˝asked Sun; sincerely shocked.

˝Yeah, listen, I´ll be the only one on duty in the hatch tonight, so why don't you come over and…we´ll see what happens? ˝

˝Uhm…yeah, sure. ˝Sun mumbled, not sure what other choice she had.

˝Great. Well, see you tonight then. ˝said Jack; as he leaned forward and pecked her on the cheek; then walked away, winking at her once before he disappeared behind the leaves.

˝Tonight…yeah. ˝Sun managed to mumble, puzzled expression on her face.

˝I need to talk to all of you – now! ˝said Sun, speaking to Claire, Charlie and Hurley.

The trio looked at each other confused; then followed her into her tent.

˝Sun, what happened? ˝asked Claire concerned. ˝Are you okay? ˝

˝Yeah, you look kinda pale. ˝added Charlie, his brows frowning.

Hurley was the only one to say nothing; instead, he sat down in the farthest corner of the tent.

˝What happened?! Why did I allow you to drag me into this?! I could have just mind my own business and…˝Sun started, pacing up and down the room on the edge of hysterics.

˝Sun, Sun, huni, just calm down and tell us what happened. ˝said Claire, taking her for her shoulders and to stop moving.

˝What happened?! What happened is that YOUR bother…˝she started, poking Claire in the chest. ˝… asked me on a DATE! ˝

Claire and Charlie started at her stunned.˝

˝He…he WHAT?! ˝exclaimed Claire.

˝He told me he´d be alone on the hatch duty tonight and asked me to come over and later we would see, to quote, ´what happens´ ˝Sun finished, resuming the pacing.

˝You´re kidding, right? You are bloody kidding? ˝asked Charlie, bewildered.

˝No. ˝

˝I can't believe it. ˝said Claire, pacing up and down now too. ˝I can't believe he´d do that to Kat…WHOA! ˝she stopped suddenly, causing Sun to crash into her. ˝Wait a sec…˝she said, turning to Hurley. ˝Hurley? ˝ Hurley said nothing, trying to avoid her eyes. ˝Hurley, do they know that we know? ˝Claire asked.

˝N-no.˝

˝Hurley! ˝Claire repeated, this time more strict.

˝They know you know. ˝Hurley gave up, tired.

˝Ugh, I knew it! ˝said Claire triumphantly. ˝Oh, I cannot believe those two! God, they thought they could mess with us! They're trying to mess with _us_?! ˝she continued, resuming her pacing.

˝It´s time to strike back. ˝said Charlie, frowning in concentration to think of what they could do next.

˝Yeah! ˝joined Sun, who got back her competitive spirit now she knew Jack wasn't really hitting on her. ˝So…what is our next move? ˝she asked, and the three of them fell silent, each of them trying to think of a way to keep the plan on.

˝Wait…˝said Claire suddenly. ˝_They_ don't know that we know they know we know! ˝

˝Oh, boy…˝Hurley sighed, putting his hands on his head.

˝Hurley, you can't say anything! ˝Charlie warned.

˝Dude, I couldn't even if I wanted too. ˝

˝Okay, you know what you have to do, right? ˝Kate asked, getting Jack ready for his half of the plan.

˝I guess. ˝said Jack, starting to get a bit nervous.

˝It´s gonna be alright. You´re gonna be great! You just need to make her think you wanna have sex with her! It'll totally freak her out! ˝

˝Okay, I´ll just pretend that I don't find it weird to listen to my girlfriend talking about me having sex with another woman. ˝Jack joked, ´causing sarcastic ´haha´ from Kate as she rolled her eyes on him. He smiled and kissed her briefly. ˝Okay, listen, how far am I gonna have to go with her? ˝

˝Relax, she's gonna give in way before you do! ˝Kate comforted.

˝How can you be so sure? ˝

˝´Cause she doesn't want to deal with me afterwards! ˝Kate grinned wickedly. ˝I think I can hear the footsteps outside. ˝she said; then crossed the bathroom and opened the door. ˝Go! ˝

Jack grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards him. His lips found hers and for a few seconds, he forgot about everything else besides that particular feeling. ˝I love you. ˝he said and quickly left the room.

˝Love you too. ˝Kate said dreamily as she locked herself in the bathroom.

**˝**All right, I'm gonna go in. ˝said Sun, standing with Claire in front of the hatch door. ˝How do I look? ˝

˝Perfect. ˝Claire replied, making some last minute rearrangements with Sun´s hair. ˝You ready? ˝

˝Yeah. ˝

˝Okay, huni, good luck. Just remember – Jack would never, in a millions of years, cheat on Kate, okay? ˝

˝´k. ˝

˝I'm gonna be right here if you need anything, okay? ˝said Claire, and hugged her goodbye.

˝Here we go. ˝said Sun, and reached for the door handle.

Sun slowly made her way down the hall. She was positive few minutes ago, but being alone here now started slowly to affect her determination. Suddenly, she heard steps behind, and turned abruptly, crashing into Jack as he went out of the bathroom.

˝Hey, you okay? ˝Jack asked concerned as he caught her from falling down, acting on instinct.

˝Yeah, you just startled me. ˝replied Sun.

It was only then both of them remembered why there were here. Realizing how close they were standing, the both moved away quickly, looking down.

˝So, hmmm….uhm…come on in. ˝mumbled Jack, pointing to the living room.

˝I was going to. ˝said Sun, equally embarrassed as Jack was.

He let her go in first, and then followed, looking pleadingly at the bathroom door, where Kate was.

˝Umm, I brought some wine. ˝said Sun, pulling out the bottle. ˝Would you like some? ˝

˝S-sure. ˝replied Jack, coming to sit behind the counter, hoping the wine would help to calm his nervousness.

Sun opened the wine, and started poring it in the glasses, with, as seemed, astonishing slowness.

˝So…here we are. ˝she said, when she couldn't pretend to pour the wine anymore. ˝

˝Yeah. ˝

˝Nervous? ˝

˝Me? No. Y-you? ˝mumbled Jack, looking down at his glass.

˝No, I…I want this to happen. ˝

˝So…so do I. ˝

They stared awkwardly at each other for a couple of seconds; both of them not knowing what to do next.

˝So…cheers. ˝said Sun, clicking her glass to his and then taking a sip.

Jack followed her. Their sip turned into a gulp, which quickly progressed into their mutual draining of their glasses at once.

˝So….˝Jack started, feeling like needing something to say.

˝So….˝

˝Uhh…would you like me to…put on some music? ˝suggested Jack, desperately hoping she would say ´yes´, because that would give him some more time of dragging this stuff for a while.

˝Sure. ˝replied Sun, grateful for the suggestion.

Jack nodded and went towards the stand. ˝What kind of music should I put? ˝he asked, reaching the gramophone.

˝Oh, whatever. ˝said Sun, and then, remembering her role, added: ˝The only thing that matters is that it´s something sexy, so that we could…you know…˝

˝Y-yeah. ˝gulped Jack; then forced himself to click the button. ˝So…˝he started, watching her approaching him as she swayed slowly with the rhythm of the music. ˝You, uhm…you look good. ˝he mumbled when she stopped few feet away from him.

˝Thank you! ˝Sun replied and took a deep breath; then continued: ˝Y'know, when you say things like that, it makes me wanna rip that shirt of yours right off and touch those muscles! ˝

Jack remained speechless for a while; then forced himself to recover: ˝Well, uhm…why don't we move this into the bedroom? ˝

˝Really?! ˝exclaimed Sun in honest astonishment.

˝What, do you _not_ want to? ˝asked Jack, a bit more confident now, thinking he´d win.

˝Oh, no, no! ˝Sun replied quickly, gathering herself. ˝It's just y'know …first, I wanna take off all my clothes and have you rub lotion on me. ˝she said, having no idea where that came from.

Jack swallowed hard. _He definitely didn't see this one coming_. ˝Well that would be… n-nice. I'll go get the l-lotion. ˝he mumbled; then hurried to the bathroom.

˝Listen, we have to end this! ˝Jack whispered, panicking. ˝It´s getting out of hand! ˝

˝Relax. ˝replied Kate, giving him a small smooch. ˝She´s gonna give up soon. ˝

˝Listen, she´s not backing down! ˝Jack shouted. ˝She wants me to put lotion on her, for God´s sake! ˝

˝She´s bluffing. ˝replied Kate calmly; then, seeing as he was about to argue, added. ˝Listen to me, we´re NOT giving up! Understood? ˝

˝Why the hell not?! ˝asked Jack, baffled.

˝Because you're on my team! And _my_ team always wins! ˝exclaimed Kate, leaving Jack looking at her like she was crazy. ˝Now go back out there and seduce her till she cracks! ˝she ordered, pushing the tube of lotion in his hands and hurrying him out of the bathroom.

_Meanwhile…_

˝Look, Claire, he´s not backing down! He went to get the damn lotion! ˝Sun yelled, panicked; peeking through the hatch door.

˝Calm down, sweetie, nothing's gonna happen. Jack won't gonna cheat on Kate. ˝Claire said reassuringly.

˝How do you know that? ˝

˝Well, for first, he wouldn't dare. Remember what happened to Juliet when she tried to mess with Kate´s man? ˝Claire offered.

˝And that´s like…supposed to make me FEEL BETTER?! ˝yelled Sun, very well remembering the scratches on Juliet´s face when they returned from the Others camp.

˝Ooops, sorry, bad example. ˝said Sun, apologizing. ˝Come on, Sun, it´s _Jack_ we´re talking about! The man´s head over heels with her ever since we crashed here! Do you really think he would risk losing her now for a trivial thing like this - after _everything_ they´ve been through? ˝

˝Well, I…I guess not. ˝replied Sun, feeling her determination increasing.

˝That´s the spirit! ˝encouraged Claire. ˝Now, go back there and show him we´re better! ˝

˝Right. ˝replied Sun confidentially, going back in and closing the door.

˝Oh, you're…you're going? ˝asked Jack hopefully, seeing her by the door.

Sun jumped a bit, but the cooled off and turned to face him. ˝Not without you…_lover_.˝ she said, and started to walk towards him.

Jack watched her approaching him, having no idea how he should act if this thing continued. ˝I…I brought lotion. ˝he said awkwardly, showing her the bottle.

˝Good. ˝said Sun, now feeling much more confident. ˝Why don't we just throw it on the couch…that´s where we´re gonna use it anyway. ˝she said, throwing the bottle away, doing her best not to crackup at his baffled expression. She then moved closer, putting her hands on his hips. Jack gulped, but, deciding to keep on pretending, placed his hands on her waist too.

˝So…˝ started Sun.

˝So…˝ repeated Jack.

˝I'm gonna kiss you now. ˝said Sun.

˝Not…not if I kiss you first. ˝offered Jack.

They both looked at each other surprised, wondering why the other one wasn't backing down.

˝Well, w-what…are you waiting f-for? ˝Sun asked, not so confident anymore. _Claire told her he would back down. Why wasn't he backing down?! _

˝I´m…I´m not. ˝mumbled Jack, moving his face closer to her.

˝So…here it comes. ˝said Sun, as they faces moved closer and closer. ˝Our f…first k-kiss. ˝she mumbled, closing her eyes in discomfort, expecting his lips to land on her any second now. She waited and waited…

˝Okay, okay, okay, you won! ˝exclaimed Jack, jumping away from her. ˝I can't kiss you! I just can't! ˝

Sun opened her eyes in shock. ˝Oh, really? ˝And why not? ˝she said a couple of seconds later, as she recovered from the news and realized that she´d won.

˝Because I´m totally and irreversibly in love with Kate…˝Jack said slowly. ˝…who, btw, can COME OUT of the bathroom now. ˝he added, the tone of his voice playfully disapproving.

There was the sound of the door opening and a few seconds later appeared Kate, sheepishly looking at Sun. ˝Uhm…hey. ˝she said, her cheeks burning flushed a bit. Sun smiled at her and Kate made her way towards Jack. ˝Hey, baby. ˝she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. ˝You were excellent. ˝she said, and then kissed him slightly, closing her eyes and losing herself in the kiss until she remembered Sun was there. They pulled apart awkwardly, both of them blushing now.

˝Uhm…sorry about that. ˝said Jack.

˝That´s okay. ˝said Sun, smiling at her friends.

˝And, uhm…sorry about _that_ too. ˝said Kate, pointing towards the bathroom.

˝That´s okay. I have some things to confess too. ˝said Sun; and then headed towards the hatch door. With one swift motion, she opened it and Claire and Charlie fell on the floor.

˝Uhm…see, Claire, I _told_ you the door wasn't stable and that we should ask Sayid to fix it! ˝Charlie tried to get out of being caught spying as he helped Claire to get on her feet.

˝Haha, guys, very funny. ˝said Kate sarcastically.

˝What? ˝asked Charlie innocently, grinning.

Jack and Kate rolled their eyes at him; then burst into laughter too.

˝So…you two, huh? ˝asked Claire softly.

˝Yeah. ˝replied Jack. ˝I finally managed to break through her walls. ˝he said, looking at Kate; his eyes shining.

˝Took him long enough. ˝Kate replied, looking up at him too. They smiled at each other and then leaned for another kiss, momentarily forgetting that they weren´t alone in the room.

˝Uhm…˝started Charlie after a few minutes of that, looking around. ˝Did we turn invisible or something? ˝

Jack and Kate pulled away, embarrassed. ˝Sorry. ˝they both mumbled, looking down.

˝That´s okay. ˝said Charlie. ˝We´ve got our goal out of the way, and our job is done here, so…. ˝

˝Yeah, we´re letting you our shift so you two could have some…´privacy´, _if_ you know what I mean. ˝said Claire, winking.

˝Claire! ˝both Jack and Kate exclaimed, blushing even more.

˝What?! ˝asked Claire innocently. ˝Like you two weren´t thinking of that! ˝she added sarcastically, hugging Charlie and leaving with him towards the door.

˝Well, I´m gonna leave too. ˝said Sun, smiling at the two. ˝Jin is waiting impatiently in his tent to see how this turned out. He wanted to come with us, but I managed to talk him into staying there. ˝she added, smiling and turned to leave.

˝Hey, Sun! ˝Jack called out.

˝Yeah? ˝she turned around.

˝Hats of. You were…quite a competitor. ˝

Sun smiled. ˝You weren´t that bad too. ˝ she replied, walking away.

˝So…˝said Jack, watching the door close. ˝

˝So… ˝replied Kate, looking playfully at him.

˝Wanna make some use of that lotion? ˝Jack asked mischievously, raising his eyebrows.

˝Jack! ˝Kate exclaimed, acting shocked.

˝What? ˝Jack replied innocently, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up on his lap. ˝You know you want to. ˝he teased and kissed the top of her nose.

Kate wrapped her arms and pulled him into a kiss. ˝You lead the way. ˝she whispered seductively into his ear, and Jack smiled, grabbing the lotion and disappearing in the bedroom with her…


	13. Chapter 13

Hey, guys! hugs

I know it´s been almost two months since I updated this story, but college started to get a bit difficult and I decided to take a little break from fanfics, both writing and reading them. And then holidays came and I was away for a few days; and when I finally managed to enjoy them, the college started again. sigh Hopefully, by February I´ll have all the exams taken care of and will be able to dedicate more time to FF again.

Secondly, some of you might remember reading something similar to this on LF last year. The reason I decided to rewrite it is because I made a Jate Xmas vid on this song, so I wanted to have the story explaining the vid and vice versa. I´m not sure about the linking policy here on FF, so, if you´d like to see the vid too, just contact me.

And thirdly, this is dedicated to two of my friends on LF – Ali and Rach; but also to all of you as a sort of belated Xmas present. S4 is ours! Happy 20J8! ;)

_**Merry Christmas, Baby**_

The sun was slowly going down to its sleep. With her feet immersed in the cold water, Kate watched the golden traces of rays touching the tranquil surface of the ocean, then melting and disappearing under the horizon. Her view would occasionally get blurred by the small white flecks that have been falling for a couple of hours now. _Yeah, snowflakes_. She couldn't even find the words to describe the surprise of all of them when the little dots appeared out of nowhere. Sun, Jin, Claire, Charlie...everyone was smiling and talking excitedly. And Hurley...well, Hurley was ecstatic. _To put it mildly_. A small smile crossed her lips at the memory of the man running all across the beach and jumping up and down, yelling _Snow, dudes, snow!_ until Sawyer threw the book he was currently reading at him. Just out of fun, of course, because she knew that the Southern man liked the unexpected phenomenon too.

She focused on one and watched it falling down slowly, gracefully...until finally meeting with the khaki marbles of the sand beneath. It was something she often did when she was little. _Sitting up high on the tree, in her usual spot, the sanctuary where she would come to when things would get too messed up at home; she would watch the flakes falling down, imagining their travel._

She remembered the story Sam´d told her when she was only 5 or 6. _The life journey of a snowflake_, as he called it_. She was sick that day, high fever shaking her body and forcing her to stay inside instead of going out and playing in the snow like the rest of the kids. Trying to cheer her up, Sam made up a story about the snowflake_ (_Katie_, he named it) – _that, when it reaches the ground, it travels all the way down through the Earth, then pierces the surface and comes out in Australia in the form of a rain drop. _The story still made her smile.

She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling the fresh air. She could swear it even smelled on Christmas. She smiled. In her life, she had seen lots of unusual thing, but never, in a million of years, she would have imagined to witness seeing snowing in the middle of the Pacific ocean. _Sure, she knew that it wouldn't stay on the ground, because it would melt the second it reached the sand, but still, she chose to enjoy in the little Xmas miracle they got._

_There was one thing that was preventing her from being completely happy, though_. She turned around slightly, trying to find the familiar face in the more and more growing crowd that was surrounding the campfire. She could see Sun helping Jin with the fish, Rose and Bernard bickering as usual, Hurley giving orders to surprisingly patient Sawyer who was trying to reach the top of the tree that they chose as their official Christmas tree and decorated with whatever they could find. Little further, she saw Charlie laughing with Claire at Aaron´s attempts to reach the flakes with his tongue. Kate smiled too. The boy was almost 18 months now and everyone in the camp simply adored him. Plus, she was sort of an auntie now, with her and Jack being together and him and Claire having found out about being siblings. _Funny how life could turn out sometimes. _

Her eyes continued to travel across the beach for a couple of minutes more, but without success. She sighed. She had really looked forward to this Christmas. It should have been her first Christmas in many years that she would spend surrounded by her friends and not in some dirty motel, lying on the bed and listening to the people outside, singing carols and having fun while she stayed inside, not daring to go out from the fear of being recognized. Her first Christmas in many years she would spend in the arms of the man she loved. _The only problem was - he wasn't here now._ She returned her gaze sadly at the ocean again._ He still hasn't come_. So she lowered her eyes down, watching the waves taking away the sand into the sapphire blue.

_Meanwhile..._

˝Hey, you okay, man? ˝

Jack turned around, finally stopping the nervous pacing he´d been doing for the past couple of minutes. ˝Uhm...yeah, yeah. Fine, I´m all fine.´ he replied nervously, still avoiding the eye contact.

˝Still sure you wanna do this? ˝asked Sayid, serious now.

Jack paused for a while. _The truth was that he had never been more nervous in his life. It wasn´t like he would be doing this for the first time, but...somehow it was different. His feelings were different...bigger, deeper. It reached the point when he knew that he couldn't live without her anymore, something he had never felt with Sarah. _They´ve been together for a couple of weeks now and they´ve been getting along quite well, but still, she was known for running away when things would become too much, and that was what was making him so nervous. _What if..._ But then his eyes fell on the sight of her – he could see her sitting there, obviously looking for something..._someone_. The light of the torches was illuminating her face and in that moment all of his fears and indecisions vanished away. _She was Kate and he was Jack and they were in love. Period._ So when he finally spoke again, there was no trace of doubt in his voice anymore: ˝Yeah. Positive. ˝

_Back on the beach..._

˝Okay….everyone, welcome to the Island Christmas Party of the year 2004! ˝said Hurley, grabbing the microphone and climbing up on the stage. ˝You all know it´s Christmas Eve tonight and I think we all deserved some fun, after everything that happened in the past couple of months. I know that being stranded on a deserted island wasn´t exactly what you all had been planning for this year's Christmas, but...we´re all here and we might as well have some fun, don't you think? ˝he said, in his usual jolly style. The Losties all cheered. ˝Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a few surprises, but, before we pass to that, I want you all to welcome the man without who all this party wouldn't be possible – famous rock God….Charlie Paaaaaace!!! ˝

As the crowd continued to cheer, Charlie climbed up the stage and, after taking the microphone from Hurley, bowed down, grinning. ˝Tnx, guys! ˝he said and waited for a while for the crowd to calm down. ˝Now….I know you all expect some serious paaaaartying here, but, as Hurley hinted, we have a special surprise first. I know that _some of us_...˝he said, his eyes landing on Kate, who was still gazing at the ocean, her back turned to them. ˝...are not in the right mood tonight, but...that should be fixed soon, if everything goes as planned. ˝he winked at Hurley, who smiled back at him.

_Behind the stage..._

˝Okay, then, I think it´s time. ˝Sayid said, and Jack nodded, taking a deep breath then turning around to leave. ˝Uhm, Jack...˝called Sayid, trying his best not to laugh. ˝Didn´t you forget something? ˝

Jack turned around, looking at the small black object lying on Sayid´s palm.

˝Here. ˝Sayid said, handing it to him. ˝And Jack? Try not to lose it on your way to the stage, okay? ˝

_Back to the stage..._

˝Sooo…..Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present you…our special guest who´s gonna sing his favorite Xmas song tonight…..˝Charlie announced, stepping aside and taking his guitar. With the first tunes starting to fill the air, Jack slowly climbed on the stage.

˝_The snow is falling/ the city is white..._ ˝he started and Kate immediately snapped out of her thoughts. _Was that Jack...singing?_

Her mind still registering the information, she slowly turned around, finding him walking towards her, in tuxedo, the microphone in his hand. She couldn't believe he was doing that for her. _No one had ever done something similar for her._

Jack watched as her eyes reflected thousands of emotions: surprise first, then astonishment followed... happiness...but most of all – _love_. He smiled slightly and continued... ˝_Your eyes are shining like diamonds tonight…_ ˝he said, offering her a hand. Still trying to recover from shock, Kate took his hand and let him pull her up. ˝_And we're all alone/ there's no one home... _˝he said, putting his hand around her waist and pulling her closer. ˝_You__'re finally in my arms again...˝ _

His hand moving her hips slowly, he continued to sing, with Charlie following him quietly on the guitar. ˝_The night is silent/ the moment is here. ˝_he said, smiling down at her_. ˝I couldn't ask for more than…having you near. ˝_he whispered, his lips quickly brushing her earlobe before he return his eyes on her_. ˝´Cause I love you girl.._. ˝he spoke softly, watching the blush spreading her cheeks as she looked down, smiling her special smile that she so often wore in his presence. ˝_And I always will/ And now I know the moment is right… the moment is real_…˝

He let Charlie to take over the singing for a while, as he focused all of his attention on the woman in front of him. _´Cause I've been waiting to give this gift tonight/ I´m down on my knees, there's no better time/ It's something to last for as long as you live._ She was looking at him with so much love in her eyes and in that moment, he felt himself falling in love with her even more, something he´d thought was impossible. ..._something to last for as long as you live/ Tonight I'm gonna give you _(_Oooh, girl)..._ His lips went to her neck, inhaling the sweet scent, stopping at the place where he could feel her pulse beating. ..._all my heart can give. _He kissed the spot softly; then straightened up, bringing the microphone up again.

_˝I thought I'd give you something shiny and new./ I tried to find something worthy of you.˝ _he started, thinking about all the things that back in the real world represented great value: diamond necklaces, pearl earrings, real glass sculptures...but all of them meant nothing to him when compared to her beauty. _But I realized/ when I looked inside…_With his index finger, he lifted her chin a bit, gently caressing the soft skin of her cheek. He remembered the first time he got to do that, back in their first days spent on the island. _Sure, he did it under the explanation of checking her scratches, but even then he felt that there was something more to it. _He let a small smile escape his lips at the thought of how far they´d come in their relationship since those first days. _There's some things that money can't buy. ˝_he said, struggling to keep his voice in check as he tried to express exactly how much she meant to him._ ˝I feel the magic, whenever you're near/ I feel it even more this time of the year. ˝_he said softly, his finger wiping away the small tear that had escaped her eye. ˝_´Cause I love you girl/_ _I always will…And now I know the moment is right….˝_he said, searching for something in his pocket._ ˝...the moment is real_…˝

˝OMG, is he planning to...˝started Claire, hardly believing her eyes. She met Charlie´s look and he smiled at her from the stage, nodding. She looked down and found Aaron smiling too, lifting his little arms excitedly as if he too was aware of what was going on. The attention of all the other Losties too was pointed at the couple in front.

_˝´Cause I've been waiting to give this gift tonight...˝_Jack continued, pulling out the black box and going down. _˝I'm down on my knees, there's no better time/ It's something to last for as long as you live/ Tonight I'm gonna give you...˝_he said, opening the box_. ˝...all my heart can give. ˝_

Kate gasped as she saw the ring. It was silver, with a diamond pearl on the top. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Charlie stopped playing, knowing the following moment was too intimate and only between the two of them. Jack put the microphone down, taking her hand in his and looking up at her eyes from beneath. ˝_You know I'll always be true to you…˝_he said, taking the ring in his fingers_. ˝And you know I'm the one you can turn to. ˝_he said, and then continued softly, emphasizing every word as he put the ring on her finger_. ˝Any time, any place, or anywhere …you know that I'll always be there.˝_

Kate looked at him mesmerized as she felt the silvery surface encircling her finger, fitting perfectly. Her mind wandered to all those times he had been there for her_: those first couple of days: how he reached for her when they encountered the monster for the first time, how he offered her a clean start, a chance to start over...how he was there for her that day in the jungle when her world seemed to be crashing down...how he calmed her with only his eyes that day and that day on the dock...how he risked her life to get her free_. And she knew that he would. _Always be there for her._

Charlie carried on with the melody, and Jack was grateful for that, because he wanted to do this right, and as much as the song's lyrics described his feelings perfectly, he still wanted to do this part by himself. ˝What I wanted to say, Kate...˝he started, looking her in the eyes. ˝...is that I love you…I love you like I´ve never loved anyone in my life…And I´m asking you, on my knees…˝he said, then chuckled slightly as he looked around. ˝...probably doing the biggest embarrassment of my life…Will you marry me? ˝

Kate was looking down at him, trying her best not start crying, but she knew that she would lose the battle sooner or later. Still too affected for words, she just nodded at him and cracked a silent ˝_Yes_.˝ before pulling him up. His hands came to rest on her back and then he finally closed the distance, his lips landing on her and kissing her first gently then more and more passionately as the music continued to play around them.

_´Cause I've been waiting to give this gift tonight_

_I'm down on my knees, there's no better time_

_It's something to last for as long as you live_

_Tonight I'm going to give you all my heart can give._

They continued to kiss until they both ran out of air; then finally pulled apart, their foreheads resting against each other, her hands on his chest and his still wrapped tightly around her back.

˝You do realize that the guys will mock you because of this for the rest of your life? ˝Kate said teasingly when the ability to speak finally returned to her again.

Jack smiled, taking her hand in his and caressing the finger with the ring gently. ˝I do…But it was worth of it. ˝he added; then leaned in for another kiss, stopping just inches away from her lips. ˝Merry Christmas, baby. ˝he whispered before capturing her lips with his again...


	14. Chapter 14

This was born out of a request for a beach S1-feeling Jate scene. Hope you´ll like it. And I´m planning to update these little one-shots more often, considering that I still have a couple of ideas on my mind. Please R&R. (puppy eyes)

**SAND CONFESSIONS**

He was sitting on the beach; the very same one he´d sat on the day of the crash: the day that would change his life forever - the day that he´d met her. _He still wasn't sure if that change had been for good or for bad. On one hand, he´d fallen in love: truly, really, deeply in love, something he had experienced probably for the first and only time in his life; on the other, he´d never suffered as much in his life, precisely because of that love_. He looked down at his feet, that were buried deep down in the golden marbles of sand. _What was it that she said that day? ´Water goes out, takes the sand with it and - you sink´_. He shook his head and smiled. _Maybe he really should try it someday too._

He was so occupied with his thoughts that he hadn't even heard her coming until she gave a little cough, announcing her arrival.

˝Excuse me! ˝she started, in a mock imitation of his voice that day.

Jack smiled, letting her know that she wasn't interrupting anything and that she could join him. She stepped out of the bushes; hands in pockets, her hair tied up loosely, messy curls cascading down her shoulders; a small smile playing on her lips; the one he noticed she often wore in his presence.

He realized he must have been staring and quickly tore his gaze off of her. ˝Please tell me you´re not going to ask me to stitch you up. ˝he tried with a joke to cover his embarrassment; and it apparently worked, ´cause her lips stretched into a grin.

˝No, but I do have some jeans down there in the tent that wouldn't mind some stitching, ˝she started teasingly; using his shoulder as a support as she placed herself down next to him. ˝so if you´re offering…˝

Jack laughed. ˝I´d rather pass. ˝he said and they both smiled, catching each other´s gazes for a quick second; then turning forwards again.

Silence fell upon them as they both thought about the same thing: how this all would be over soon. _The rescue was on its way and it was a matter of hours until another chapter of their lives would be closed_. They stayed quiet, looking at the rhythmical crushing of the waves in front of them; the natural melody working as a lullaby on them. Then suddenly Kate spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, but loud enough for him to notice it.

It´s funny, isn't it? ˝

He looked at her, brows frowning in confusion. ˝What? ˝he asked quietly, looking at this woman next to him that would always remain a mystery to him, no matter how much he tried to understand her. _But, maybe precisely that was the beauty of it_.

˝About not having gone swimming. ˝she said and continued quickly: We´ve been here for… how much? 4 months, right? We´ve dealt with monsters, diseases, fights; we´ve explored the inside of the island, gone on treks…and yet… we´ve never stopped ourselves enough to appreciate what we´d been given: clean, fresh ocean. ˝

Jack looked at her long before he talked: ˝Yeah, I guess you´re right. But then again…˝he started, but was interrupted as she suddenly got up, kicking her shoes.

˝Come on, let´s go! ˝she said, grabbing the hems of her T-shirt and lifting it up above her head.

˝K-Kate, what are you doing? ˝he asked nervously, forcing his eyes to keep contact with the level of her face, not couple of inches souther.

˝Come on, Jack, let´s race! ˝she said, tossing the shirt on the sand; the green top perfectly delineating the curves of her body. Jack swallowed deeply; but she didn't notice, continuing to babble. ˝The first one to reach that rock is the…˝she continued, leaning down and starting to take off her jeans.

˝Kate, I don't think that´s such a…˝Jack started, trying his best not to look in her direction, but not able to stop his eyes accidentally coming across her perfectly tanned body.

Kate turned around and looked at him, flashing him a grin. ˝What – you´re afraid to lose…_Shephard_? ˝she smirked as she stepped out of her jeans; then turned around and headed towards the ocean; the mischievous grin still playing on her lips.

Jack shook his head and smiled. _If that was what she wanted…_ -he thought; then got up, taking off his shirt too and running to catch up with her.

They collapsed on the sand, turning on their backs; then sanked down again, both breathing heavily.

˝That…was totally…a NOT fair-play, Kate. ˝Jack mumbled as soon as he managed to catch enough breath to be able to actually pronounce something.

˝It was completely…a fair play…Jack. ˝she replied in between breaths. ˝I passed you…I was faster…I won. ˝

˝Strangling you opponent with your hands…wrapped around…his neck…until he sinks down…so that you could…pass him…doesn't really equal you being ´faster´, Kate. ˝

˝I would really call it…strangling. ˝she defended, still breathless.

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but then closed them again. He turned on his side, elbow supporting his weight, and looked at her: eyes closed, chest moving up and down, hair spread across the sand. ˝I´ll never win this one, will I? ˝he asked instead, smiling; watching her as she opened her eyes and flashed him with a smile.

˝Nope. ˝she grinned, showing him a tongue and making him laugh. She turned on her side too, smiling. _She loved to watch him laugh. He seemed so…at ease in those moments_.

The laugh gradually died, and they fell in the silence again.

˝Are you sorry? ˝she asked him, breaking the silence. ˝That we crashed here, I mean. ˝she added as she saw him raising his eyebrows.

Jack looked pensive for a couple of minutes, as if searching for the answer himself. Then he spoke silently: ˝No, I don't think so. ˝he said; then added, more quietly than the first time, but more firmly too: ˝If we hadn't crashed here, I wouldn't have met you. ˝

Kate looked up at him and their eyes met. Emerald and chocolate collided and in that moment, everything they´d gone through together during the past 4 months suddenly flashed in front of their eyes: _their first meeting, I´m Kate./Jack., the counting to five, second chances, playful bickering, the cave in, secrets revealing, guavas, food sharing, golf teasing, kiss, fights, worry, pain, separation, relief, reunion heartache, __the__ words_… Jack felt himself leaning in, and this time, his heart's desires overcame the rules of his mind. In that one moment, he wasn't the Man of the Science anymore. It was as thousands of invisible ropes were dragging them towards each other, and neither of them had strength (or wish) to fight them. Their faces were coming nearer and nearer, until their lips finally connected; both of them closing their eyes instantly as the wave of pleasure hit them both: they were right where they needed to be at least. _They were home_.

Their tongues danced slowly, circling around each other; enjoying and savoring the taste, the feeling. _It had been so long, and, at the same time, it seemed that neither a minute passed from their first one – it felt so natural, so…familiar._ His hand nested on the curve of her waist; her fingers, on the other side, were gently caressing the light stubble of his cheek. They continued to duel with their tongues until there was no breath left in their lungs, and they were forced to separate; neither of them having the courage to open their eyes first, afraid of what this might mean and what consequences it might have. Jack´s head was spinning with questions: _How could I let this happen? What now? Will she run again?_... He remembered the awkward tension that followed the days after their first kiss, and he decided to be the first one to stop it from happening again. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. She was still having hers closed.

˝Kate, I´m sorry, I shouldn't have…˝he started all in one breath, afraid that he wouldn't be able to say the lie; but he was cut off as she opened her eyes.

˝Jack?˝

˝Yeah? ˝he replied breathlessly, losing himself in the green of hey eyes once again.

˝Shut up. ˝she said, quickly turning around so that now she was sitting on top of him, straddling him as she leaned down and closed her lips over his again. She was stupid enough to run away the first time – she wasn't going to do the same mistake again. And she wouldn't let him do it too.

**The end**

p.s. The ones of you who are assuming that jex followed – you´re assuming correctly ;)


	15. Chapter 15

Set around 3 months after Jack and Kate´s last talk in TTLG. Jack´s life has finally started coming back to normal. He´s been in a rehab, he´s got his job back…There´s only one thing missing. Well, two actually…

_**Is there still hope left for us? **_

They were sitting in his apartment, on the couch, facing each other. The music was playing silently in the distance; and sound of the children laughing and people chatting were coming from the outside.

˝I´ve been sober for three months, Kate. I´ve been going to AA meetings three times a week and my mentor tells me I´m doing quite well at it. I´ve got my job back and my life is finally going back to normal. ˝he said; then paused a bit before adding. ˝The only thing that misses is you. You and Aaron. ˝

˝Jack…˝she started, her voice trembling, but he cut her off.

˝Do you wanna know what changed me, Kate? What made me realize how stupid I was? How stupid I was for losing two things that mattered to me the most? ˝he said, and she nodded silently, too afraid to talk because she wasn't sure if she would be able to keep her emotions in check for much longer. ˝After you left that day, after you slapped me and told me that Aaron had been asking about me every day…˝he started, and they both winced at the memory. ˝I went to a bar. I sat down and I planned to drink and drink and drink – until all feelings disappeared. I ordered my round of Jack Daniels and I was about to start drinking it – when I felt someone watching me. I looked down and there stood a boy – 6, 7 years the most. His mum needed to use the lady´s room, so they stopped by. He asked me why I looked so sad. I don't know why I started to talk to him, I guess I had nothing better to do, but I _did_ start. He wore cute little Spiderman shirt. I told him that I had a boy who loved Spiderman too. He asked me where _my_ boy was. I told him he was with his mum. And then…˝Jack smiled sadly as he shook his head. ˝And then he asked me something that only kids, with their innocence, can ask. He asked me why I wasn't with you guys then. ˝Jack said, and Kate looked up. ˝And I didn't know what to reply to him. ˝Jack continued. ˝And then I realized that the boy was right. That I _should_ be with you. _That_´s when I decided to change my life. To stop drinking. To clean myself so I could be worth of being in your lives again. I paid to the bartender, thanked the boy – and went straight home. The next day, I called my friend, asked him for the best rehabilitation center and, two days later, I was in. ˝

Kate looked at him. He looked better, everyone could see that. His place was tidy, his clothes clean, and he got rid of that dead-animal-looking beard on his face. _But still…could she trust him…after everything?_

˝Do you remember what you told me? That day, when I asked you to back me up. ˝he said, and she looked up at him. ˝You told me that you had got my back. ˝And from that day, from that moment, I've known that, no matter what happened, no matter how bad the things might become…I've known that you'd always be there for me. That you'd back me up. That you would be by my side even when no one else was. So I´m asking you again, Kate. ˝he said, and his eyes locked with hers. ˝Do you have my back? ˝

She kept the eye contact, but she didn't reply, ´cause another moment crossed her mind. _It doesn't matter, Kate, who we were... what we did before this, before the crash. It doesn't really... 3 days ago we all died. We should all be able to start over_.

_We should all be able to start over_. She looked at him. _The man she had once known was standing in front of her. The man she had fallen in love with. The man she still loved_. Her mind returned to that scene. She wondered how it must have been for him. _He, a world-wide known spinal surgeon, a doctor, a man who had generously taken the role of their protector, their leader… had decided to put his trust in her. To trust a criminal, without need to know the reasons behind her past. For all he´d know, she could have been a serial killer or something. But he had still decided to put his faith in her. To give her a second chance_. He deserved one too. _She owned him that_. But another thing crossed her mind.

˝What about the island, Jack? ˝she said, lump forming in her throat. He opened his mouth to reply; but she continued: ˝What can guarantee me that…that one day I won't come home and…and find you surrounded by bottles again, going on about how we have to go back and stuff? ˝she asked; and he could hear her voice cracking. ˝How can I trust you that you changed your mind about going back, Jack? ˝

Jack sighed. He could see that she was trying hard to be brave, to be strong; but he knew her enough to know that she was on the edge of breaking down. He hated himself for being the one to cause her pain, but he knew that he had to go through that, because the alternative was losing her forever. And he couldn't live with that option. So he decided to be completely honest, ´cause she deserved it.

˝You can´t, Kate. You can´t trust me that I´d changed my mind – because I haven't. ˝he said. He saw pain flashing in her eyes at his words; but he continued before she had a chance to interfere: ˝I haven't changed my mind. But I realized that going back on the island without you isn't worth of it. _Losing_ you isn't worth of it. So…I _still_ believe that we _should_ go back. But…˝he said, his voice slowing down. ˝…if I have to choose between going back, but losing you; or staying here, but having you. – I choose the second one. I choose _you_. I choose _us_. ˝

He looked at her. _She wanted to believe him, she really did. He could see it in her eyes. But the wound was still too deep_.

He straightened up and took her hands in his. ˝Kate, I know that I messed up. I know that I´ve hurt you, hurt you deeply…˝ he rushed when he saw her opening her mouth to say something. ˝And I know that it's hard for you to believe me. ´Cause you have two lives now to look after: yours and that little boy's one. But I promise you, Kate…˝he said, kneeling down in front of her. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting a tear sliding down her cheek; the scene painfully reminding her of the day of that fight that had changed their lives forever. ˝I promise you that I won't hurt you again. You or Aaron. I won't do it, Kate.˝

She finally opened her eyes. His eyes were digging into hers, pleading, begging for the understanding. Another tear escaped her eye; but before she had a chance to react, his thumb was already on her face, gently wiping it away. She smiled through tears. He seemed sincere. _No, ´seemed´ wasn't the right word. He **was** sincere. She knew him that well. But she couldn't afford herself to make the same mistake again. She had a boy who was counting on her. Counting on her never to fail him. And she was determined to fulfill that mission._

˝I…I want to believe you, Jack. ˝she started, hating that she had to hurt him, but seeing no other way. ˝But, as you said, I have a responsibility now. Responsibility towards that innocent little boy waiting for me at home. I need time. Can I…can I think about it? ˝she asked and looked at him, her eyes pleading. ˝

Jack nodded. _He understood_. ˝Of course. ˝he said and smiled. ˝Tell you what – I´ll leave you alone, give you time to think about it, and then, if the answer is ´yes´, why don't Aaron and you come over on a Christmas dinner? I´ll be the chief. ˝he said and flashed her a grin. But then his face turned serious again. ˝If the answer is ´no´, then…then I´ll deal with it when the time comes. ˝he said sadly; but shrugged it off quickly. _This was positive. She was giving him a chance._

˝Deal. ˝Kate said and smiled too. She looked at the clock. ˝I, uhm…I should get going. ˝she said and started to get up. ˝I promised the nanny I would be back till 8, so… ˝

Jack got up, too. He passed her the coat and the purse and she accepted with a smile. ˝Always a gentleman, huh? ˝

He smiled too. There was a moment of awkward silence as they both stood next to the door.

˝Well, I guess this is it then. ˝Jack said and Kate smiled, blushing a bit. He leaned in and placed a small peck on her cheek, his lips lingering there just a bit too long before he slowly pulled away. ˝Bye, Kate. ˝

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. ˝Bye, Jack. ˝

She smiled once again; and crossed the doorway. He watched after her until her figure disappeared behind the stairs; then took a deep breath and closed the door behind. _He did everything in his power. Now, it was all up to her_.

Hope you guys like it. ;) I know I left it kinda open, but I´m thinking about writing a sequel, with Kate´s decision in it. Please R&R ;)


	16. Chapter 16

**_Part 2_**

She looked down at the note again. I won't fail you again, Kate. She closed her eyes, clutching the paper tighter in her hand. But, she´d already made her decision. _No, I don't think that´s true. You´re not running now… Three days ago we all died. We should all be able to start over… If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a problem staying in one place for very long, Kate… and I have to know that you've got my back… It's okay. It's alright. It's alright….Kate, dammit, run!... But I will come back here for you… Because I love you… __what I said in there...I didn't mean it… Will you marry me?_

˝Aaron? ˝The boy looked up at her. ˝How do you feel about us visiting Jack today? ˝

She pressed the doorbell again, glancing down at the little boy who was bouncing up and down excitedly. A loud thud came from the inside, followed by a loud ´_Dammit_!´ and a muffled ´_comin_´! ´ Kate felt her heart sink. _He couldn't…_ She glanced down at Aaron again, who looked up at her, smiling.

˝He´s here, Mummy! ˝he said, grinning happily; and Kate had to look away to stop the tears welling in.

Aaron was still looking at her, so she forced herself to smile, wondering how she would explain it to him when they find Jack drunk again.

˝Aaron, come here. ˝she told him as she took him by the hand, pulling him a few steps backwards.

She heard the sound of the footsteps approaching; followed by the unlocking of the door; and she intertwined her fingers with Aaron´s; taking a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself for what was waiting for her on the other side of the door, -

Jack opened the door, his eyes lightening up as his gaze fell on the two persons standing in front of it. He was freshly shaved; dressed in simple jumper and jeans. Kate had barely enough time to notice a piece of cloth he was clutching in his hand before a loud squeal echoed through the corridor.

˝Jaaack!! ˝Aaron screamed, freeing himself from Kate´s hand and launching himself toward Jack; tightly wrapping his little arms around Jack´s neck. Jack laughed, steadying himself as he crouched down, the boy´s leap so strong that it nearly knocking him down.

˝Heeey, buddy! ˝he replied, realizing in that moment exactly how much he´d missed having him near.

˝I mwissed you so mwuch, Jack. ˝the boy said and Jack felt tears welling in his eyes.

He hugged him tighter and pressed a small kiss on the boy´s hair as he replied: ˝I missed you too, buddy. ˝

Kate watched the touching exchange with tears in her eyes; smiling slightly as Jack whispered something in Aaron´s ear, causing the boy´s eyes to lit with excitement as he kissed Jack on the cheek before running inside. Jack´s eyes followed him too, and his lips stretched into a smile. He watched the boy until he disappeared into the living room; then stood up and turned towards Kate again.

She was still standing in the corridor, and he noticed a tear sliding down her cheek.

˝Uhm…hey. ˝he said awkwardly, smiling. She said nothing and he noticed her looking at the cloth in his hand, her eyebrow raised in confusion. ˝Oh, I cut my finger. ˝he explained. ˝The doorbell. I was making a dinner when you…˝

But he never got to finish the line because the next moment she was already in his arms; her hands tightly wrapped around his neck as her chin rested on his shoulder. Her reaction took him off guard; but he recovered quite quickly; burying his head in her hair; inhaling the familiar scent again. _Guava´s scent_. It felt so good to have her in his arms again, to feel the warmth of her body pressed to his again; the warmth he´d missed so much in the past couple of months.

He started to pull away, to give her some space; but her arms were still clinging tightly to him. With surprise, he felt her shoulders shaking, and he realized that she was sobbing.

˝Hey…what´s wrong? ˝he asked gently; but she just shook her head, hugging his closer.

_He wasn't drunk…he wasn't drunk_… - the words kept repeating in her mind. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so happy. ˝I missed you so much. ˝she sobbed quietly in his neck; and he smiled, kissing her softly on the cheek before burying his noce in her hair again.

He understood her reaction now, realizing how all that noise and cluttering must have sounded to her. His lips found her earlobe and he whispered silently: I promised I wouldn't fail you again, Kate. ˝ He felt her nodding and kissed her hair again.

˝Mummy, mummy, look what Jack buyed m…! ˝the boy squealed as he ran back into the hallway, but stopped in his tracks as he reached them.

Kate pulled away quickly, turning around so that Aaron wouldn't see her tears. Jack stepped up towards Aaron, giving her time to compose herself. ˝´Bought´, Aaron, not ´buyed…´ he started , but the boy wasn't looking at him anymore.

˝Mummy…mummy, are you crying? ˝he asked, the bright blue eyes turning sad.

Kate smiled, wiping away the tears as she turned to face him. ˝It´s nothing, sweetie. ˝she assured him, kneeling down in front of him. ˝Mummy´s just…happy to see Jack again. ˝she smiled through tears and glanced up at Jack, who smiled back at her. ˝Now, show me what Jack gave you. She said; and Jack had to smile as he listened to the boy explaining to Kate all wonders of his new XMan 2007 action figure. He could bet she didn't understand half of the phrases the boy used; but, as every Mum, she patiently listened as Aaron listed the super-powers with enthusiasm in his voice.

Jack smiled again and kneeled down next to the boy too. ˝Come on, buddy, why don't you help me with the dinner while Mummy goes to the bathroom to refresh herself a bit? ˝he said and Kate smiled at him gratefully, getting up.

˝Can I get a piggy-back ride? ˝Aaron pleaded and Jack grinned.

˝Of course you can. Come on, up you go! ˝he said as he helped Aaron climb onto his back. ˝Are you holding tightly? ˝

˝Yep. ˝

˝And your bear? ˝Jack asked, referring to the plush toy tucked afely under Aaron´s armpit.

˝His name´s Jack. Mummy buyed it to me to keep me company until you come back. ˝the boy explained matter-of-factly; missing the painful exchange Jack and Kate shared as their eyes locked. Jack´s lips formed a silent ´_Thank you_.´ and Kate nodded, smiling.

Jack stared at her for a bit more, grateful that she tried to keep him present in Aaron´s life while he was missing. He felt the boy tugging on his shirt, startling him from his thoughts. He turned his head sideways to look at Aaron. ˝Okay. And XMan? ˝

˝Him too. ˝Aaron giggled, clutching Jack´s neck tighter.

˝Okay, here we go then…˝Jack said, lifting himself from the ground.

Kate smiled as she watched them heading towards the kitchen; Aaron´s giggles filling the room as Jack run with him on his back. It´d been a while since she´d seen him that happy. _Both of them_. She smiled again; then headed towards the bathroom…

˝I had a great time, Jack. ˝she said, flashing him that smile of hers he loved the most. ˝Both of us did. ˝she added as she glanced at the sleeping boy curled up on the couch, clutching his old friend, ´Jack´, and his new one, XMan, tightly in his arms. And she didn't lie. _They had had a dinner together - roast turkey with mashed potatoes - that Jack himself made; followed by apple pie and gingerbread as a dessert; then watched some Xmas-y movies on DVDs; just hanging out until the boy finally surrendered to the tiredness he was feeling, falling asleep on the floor until they carried him on the couch. _

˝I had a great time, too, Kate. ˝Jack replied softly. She looked up at him and their eyes locked; the familiar feeling they both usually felt in the situations like these not missing this time too. She felt herself leaning in, and, before she knew, his lips were on hers; kissing her gently first; savoring the familiar taste in his mind; then more and more passionately; her fingers intertwining around his neck as she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss, wanting him, needing him.

Breathless, they slowly pulled away, their eyes closed, foreheads resting against each other´s.

˝I…I should go. ˝Kate whispered quietly; and he nodded.

˝Y-yeah. ˝he said, placing another soft kiss on her lips; then getting up. ˝I´ll give you a ride. ˝he said, opening the drawer to get his car keys.

˝No, you don't have to, we can…˝she started, but he shushed her.

˝Kate, it´s freezing out there. Plus, he´s asleep. ˝he said, pointing to the boy who was still sleeping peacefully on the couch.

˝Okay. ˝she accepted, flashing him a shy grin.

He held her winter coat for her; then helped her with Aaron. He was way too into sleep for them to be able to put his jacket on without waking him up; so they tucked him into a blanket; and he wrapped his hands around Kate´s neck, stirring a bit; but quickly returning back to sleep. Jack held the door open for Kate; then grabbed his jacket and left his apartment, closing the door behind.

-

He helped her getting the boy out of the car; then, when Aaron was safely tucked in her arms; returned to take her purse and coat. She smiled at the gesture and waited for him to lock his car and walk her toward the door. Once they got there, she turned around to face him.

˝So, uhm…˝he mumbled awkwardly, rubbing his head with his head. He felt like a school boy. ˝Can I call you tomor…˝he started, but was interrupted by Aaron mumbling something in his sleep.

Kate shifted, smiling at Jack apologetically. ˝I should get him to bed. If he wakes up, he´ll wanna stay up and wait for Santa, so… ˝

˝Of course. ˝Jack said, smiling; then moved to open the door for her. He let her in; then leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on her lips before pulling back again. ˝See you tomorrow, Kate. ˝he said and stepped outside, about to head towards the car

˝You can stay too, Jack. ˝Kate suddenly said, making him turn in surprise, confusion evident on his face. ˝After all, it´s Christmas and Aaron…˝she paused; then corrected herself. ˝Aaron _and_ I would love to have you here in the morning. ˝she said, blush creeping in her cheeks. She looked down, avoiding his gaze. ˝Of course, there won't be any, uhm…you know….but…˝she mumbled, lovely shade of pink decorating her cheeks; making him laugh.

He reached his hand and put his finger under her chin, gently nudging it up and making her look at him. ˝I´ve always thought you´re cute when you´re blushing. ˝he said teasingly, earning a shy smile from her. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips on hers; then pulled back. ˝Thank you, Kate. For doing this. For giving me second chance. It means a lot. ˝he finished, chocolate eyes digging into hers.

˝You´re welcome. ˝she nodded and smiled. Aaron stirred in her lap. ˝Uhm…I should better get him upstairs. ˝

Jack nodded. ˝I´ll get us something to drink. ˝

Half an hour later, they were stretched on the couch in the living room, Kate´s back leaned against Jack´s chest; his arms wrapped up around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder as they watched ˝It´s a wonderful life˝ together. Two glasses of coke were lying on the night stand next to the couch – Kate was glad to see that he hadn't reached for any alcoholic drinks instead.

˝Jack, can I ask you something? ˝Kate suddenly asked, her fingers tracing invisible lines across his hands.

˝Sure. ˝he said; but she stalled; so he encouraged her, placing a small kiss on the side of her neck. ˝Go on. ˝

˝Don't get me wrong, but… I was wondering…what would you have done if…if Aaron and I hadn't showed up today? If you ended up alone with all that food, presents…˝

Jack took a couple of seconds before replying. He knew the real question behind: _Would you have gone to a bar to drink yourself into oblivion?_ And he couldn't blame her for asking it, either. _Would he?_ But, he knew in his heart the answer to that one.

˝Well… it would have been too much food just for myself; so I would have probably taken it to the hospital, to share it with the stuff. And then I would've probably stayed there with them, entertaining the little ones and stuff. ˝he said, smiling as he remembered the Christmas party they had organized two years ago for the kids at the oncology ward.

˝You…you wouldn't have considered…˝Kate started, but he interrupted her, finishing her though:

˝…going to the bar and drinking my sadness away? ˝he said, and he felt her wince at his words. ˝No, Kate, I wouldn't. ˝he said, taking her hand in his before continuing: ˝I let the alcohol ruin my life and everything I cared about once and I don't plan to let it do it again. ˝he said, and Kate sighed in relief. ˝Plus, I _knew_ you would come. ˝he added.

The little hint of mischief in his voice got Kate intrigued. ˝Oh, yeah? And how could you know that? ˝she asked, turning her head sideways so that she could see his face.

˝Simple. ˝he said, kissing the tip of her nose before turning serious again and replying, looking her straight into eyes: ˝´because I knew you'd got my back. ˝


	17. Chapter 17

_Set post the spoon scene in Catch22..._

She felt a tear sliding down her cheek as she watched them having dinner and chatting casually, something he´d used to do with _her _before. Before all this mess that followed. _One tear...two...three..._and then she lost count of them. Her vision blurred as she rubbed the plate in her hands, ignoring that it was probably cristal clean by now. Suddenly, it fell down from her hands, but she didnt care to pick it up. She had to do something to keep her mind busy, to ignore the stabbing pain in her heart, so she reached for the next thing close, picking up the glass; knowing it´s glass just from the feel of it, ´cause her vision was blurred by the tears that were now sliding openly down her face. She heard Juliet laughing, and the pain in her heart became so hard that she reflexively squeezed her fists together; her eyes opening in shock as the fierce pain, this time a pysical one, shot through her body. _The pain of pieces of glass driving into her palm..._

He watched as she grimaced in what seemed to be pain, though he couldn't tell for sure from this distance, and squeezed her hand to her chest.

˝Jack, did you hear a word of what I just sai..? ˝Juliet started, but he was already on his feet.

˝Juliet, sorry, but I have to…˝he started, but he didn't have to say more.

She followed his gaze. _Of course. _She enjoyed his company and she was starting to feel something more for him, but deep down she knew that his heart was already taken. _She´d known it from the beginning_. So she forced on the smile and nodded simply. ˝Sure. See you later. ˝

˝Yeah, see you. ˝he replied absent-mindedly; then headed towards her.

˝Hey. ˝

He slowly approached her, noticing her flinching at the sound of his voice.

˝Hey, are you…are you crying? ˝he asked, suddenly concerned.

˝I´m fine. ˝she mumbled quietly as she looked away, trying to wipe away the tears with the back of her sleeve, the motion not missing his eyes. His eyebrows frowned in confusion for why she was doing it with her left hand when she was right-handed; but then his eyes caught the unnatural position of her right hand, that she was pressing tightly to her chest.

˝Kate, what…˝he started, but then noticed the red stain on her shirt, growing more and more. ˝Kate, you´re bleeding. ˝he said, squatting down next to her, reaching for her arm. ˝

˝It´s nothing. ˝she brushed him off. She didn't want him to see her in this state.

˝Kate. ˝he said firmly, ignoring her protests and taking her hand in his.

He winced as he saw that the cloth she wrapped it in was completely covered in blood. ˝Hey, how did this happen? ˝he asked gently, pressing his thumbs to try to stop the bleeding until he found other solution. She replied nothing, just shook her head, still sobbing and looking sideways. Jack sighed and looked around. _He had to get some clean cloth and alcohol; but he couldn't just leave her alone, especially since the cut was still bleeding. He had no luck though: the beach was completely deserted, most of the people having already gone to sleep_.

While he was debating what to do, he heard footsteps behind, and soon a calm voice as Juliet came out of the bushes.

˝I, uhm…I just came to see if everything´s all right? ˝she said as she stepped into the clearing.

Jack felt Kate´s hand twitch at the sound of Juliet´s words as she buried her head between her knees. He looked back at the camp, the place where he had just had dinner with Juliet a couple of minutes ago clearly visible, and suddenly it all made sense. He shook his head and looked at her sadly._ Guess he wasn't the only one hurting._

˝Oh my God, Kate, are you okay? ˝Juliet asked as her eyes fell on Kate´s hand.

˝Yeah, she´s…she´s fine. ˝Jack decided to take this one on himself. ˝She cut her hand on the glass. Listen…could you go to my tent and get me some clean cloth and some alcohol? The cut´s quite deep and I´ll probably have to stitch it up. ˝he said, and Juliet nodded.

˝Of course. ˝

˝It´s in the metal case under the pillow. ˝he said, the marshall´s case now serving as a great place to hold his medical supplies. ˝The code is S-N-B-H-4-1-0. ˝ Juliet raised an eyebrow. ˝Sawyer. ˝ he explained, and she laughed.

When Juliet left, he turned to Kate again. ˝This might hurt, but I have to do it. ˝he said as he carefully unwrapped the bandage, then put her hand in the sea. She jerked at the contact, but he kept her steady, allowing the salt water to clean the wound naturally. He glanced at her, and saw that she wasn't crying anymore. He smiled a bit. ˝Feeling better? ˝

She smiled back. ˝Yeah, I´m…I´m okay now. ˝she replied. _Letting it all out, crying it out…it really helped, it felt liberating_. She even managed a smile of gratitude when Juliet came back carrying Jack´s medical box and a couple of pieces of a white cloth.

˝Here, I brought you the whole box, in case you need something else. ˝she said as she placed the box on the sand.

˝Thanks, Juliet. ˝Jack replied, reaching for the box and pulling out the stuff he found necessary, one hand still holding the pressure on Kate´s wound.

˝You okay? ˝Juliet asked, and Kate smiled, this time genuinely.

˝Yeah, thanks. ˝

Juliet nodded. ˝Okay, I´ll…I´ll leave you two alone. ˝she said, and with one last glance at them, disappeared in the bushes.

Jack pulled out a small bottle and opened it.

˝This might sting a bit. ˝he warned before pouring alcohol on her wound. Her hand jerked reflexively, but he held it in place, his fingers gently tapping the cloth across the open cut. Once he was sure he applied the liquid all over the cut, he laid her hand back on her knee, reaching inside the box and pulling out a small sewing kit. He then remembered something, and looked at her, flashing her a grin: ˝Any color preference? ˝

She looked up, her lips stretching into a smile too as the moment of their first meeting came floating in her mind. ˝Nope. Standard black is perfectly fine. ˝

Jack smiled as he took her hand in his again. ˝Back to where it all began, huh? ˝

They both looked up and their eyes met, the words suddenly getting a deeper meaning than he originally intended to. They held the gaze for a while, neither of them being strong enough to look away first. Jack slowly opened his mouth to say something, but another voice coming from the background was faster, ´causing both Jack and Kate to wake up from the trance they were in.

˝Heeey, Kate, Jack…what´s up? ˝Hurley said cheerfully as he stepped on the sand, grinning at them. But, the grin was suddenly replaced by nausea as his eyes fell down on Kate´s hand. ˝Whoa, dude…is that like…_blood_? ˝

Jack and Kate held back a giggle.

˝Yeah, Kate cut herself, and I have to stitch it. ˝Jack replied, then , knowing Hurley´s aversion to everything that had a word ´blood´ in it, added: ˝Wanna help me sew it up? ˝He knew it was a bit mean, but he finally had a reason to be near her, and, although he was still hurting, it felt so good to just sit like that in her company, and he didn't want to share even a second of it with anyone else.

˝Oh, I…uhm…no, I…I have to go…somewhere to do…something. Yeah. So, uhm…see ya. ˝Hurley mumbled.

Both Jack and Kate laughed.

˝He´s one of a kind. ˝Jack said, shaking his head, smile still playing on his lips.

˝Yeah, he really is. ˝Kate replied affectionately.

They stayed silent for a while, watching Hurley leave; then Jack remembered why there were here in the first place, and cleared his throat. ˝Uhm…I think we better start with this. ˝

˝Oh, y-yeah. ˝Kate replied, his fingers so gentle on her hand that she had forgotten for a moment that her hand was still bleeding.

He gently spread her palm and used a wet piece of cloth to wipe away the blood that was still pouring out of the wound; then decided it was time to start with the real work. He noticed her eyes flickering towards the needle with a hint of panic in them, and he chuckled slightly.

˝Scared of needles, Kate? ˝he asked, his grin bordering on mocking.

˝No. ˝she replied quickly. _A bit __**too **__quickly._

He smiled, finding this side of her adorable. Suddenly, he had an idea. ˝Tell me something, Kate. ˝he said as his fingers steadied her hand. ˝Exactly how often were you at ER when you were a kid? ˝he asked with a chuckle. He brought the needle at her palm and she flinched as she felt it piercing her skin, but his question soon threw her off balance, making her forget the pain for a moment. She looked up at him, confused, so he explained: ˝I mean…curious, restless, loves taking risk hike and climbing the top trees…˝ he finished, pulling the needle out; then repeating the process again. ˝Your parents must have had their hands very busy with you. ˝

She smiled, blushing a bit. ˝Well…I guess you could say I _was _a bit of a wild child. ˝she replied, smiling.

˝Kneels full of bruises…˝he started, glad that his distracting strategy was apparently working.

˝... every-day cuts...˝she added, blushing slightly.

˝Probably a broken leg…or arm, I assume. ˝he went on, his eyes alternating between watching the stitching proceeding and holding her gaze, watching her as she revived some of her childhood memories.

˝Leg _and _arm, actually. ˝she stated, and he raised her eyebrows at her. ˝I had a thing for flying when I was 6. And my best friend´s obsession were airplanes. ˝she said with a sad chuckle. ˝Add paper wings and the top of a stable to it and…˝she explained, making him laugh.

˝Wow, I´m impressed. ˝he said with a grin, applying the needle for one last time.

˝Well, _I_ wasn't so impressed after it all. Two weeks in the hospital; then another three at forced bed rest. ˝she said, not quite getting this sudden interest in her childhood, but happy that they were finally communicating, so she didn't mind. ˝Let´s just say I wasn't so interested in flying after that. ˝she joked.

She watched him smile and felt that familiar feeling inside of her stomach, the one she often got when around him. She couldn't help but smile too.

˝I can understand why. ˝he grinned, tying up the bandage around her hand and securing it with a rope. He looked up and, bringing her hand back to rest on her knee, smiled and said: There you go. Done. ˝

She looked down at her hand; then up at him again. Her wound was stitched up. But…she barely felt a thing. ˝How…how did you _do _that? ˝she asked in genuine astonishment, causing him to laugh.

˝A doctor never reveals his secrets. ˝he replied, smiling.

She brushed her left hand across the bandage; then looked up at him again, her eyes piercing his. ˝Thank you. ˝

He smiled and nodded. ˝You´re welcome. Now, you need to keep that dry for a couple of days, not press or over-burden it, and it should heal quickly. And, of course, no tree climbing. ˝he said, packing up the sewing kit. _˝Or _doing the dishes, since apparently you can turn that _too _into a risky operation. ˝he added, grinning.

She smiled, blushing a bit. ˝No tree-climbing _or _dishes-doing – got it. ˝she said as she watched him getting up. Her smile soon turned into a sad one when she realized that this was probably the time when he would have to go away. Jack thought the same thing.

˝So, uhm…I should go get this back. ˝he said, a bit awkwardly. He wanted to stay there, wanted to stay near her; but there was still a part of him that found it difficult.

˝Yeah, okay. ˝she said and smiled uncertainly.

He smiled too; then turned around, heading to his tent.

She was sitting on the beach, her knees drawn to her chest; her hand cradled securely in her lap. It was late, the only sounds that could be heard coming from the waves crushing against the shore or the leaves rustling in the background. She was staring at the ocean, her eyes fixed on the now barely visible line that separated the sea from the sky. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even hear him coming.

˝This seat taken? ˝he asked softly, not wanting to scare her.

She looked up and smiled at him, watching him go down next to her, his shoulders accidentally brushing against hers in the process.

˝So…what are you doing up so late, Kate? ˝he asked.

˝I guess I could ask you the same thing, Jack. ˝she replied playfully, looking at him from the corner of her eyes.

He chuckled. _Always with the mysteries_. ˝I couldn't sleep. Hurley´s snoring quite loud, occasionally muttering something about ´chicken´ and ´cluckity´ and stuff. ˝

She laughed. ˝I couldn't sleep either. So I thought I might come here and watch the ocean instead. It´s calming. ˝she said.

He kept his eyes on her. _Her ability to spend hours just staring at the ocean always amazed him, especially when he knew that she usually couldn't stay at one place too long._ He followed her gaze, watching the waves rising up then dropping again, following the only them known rhythm. He had to admit it, it really had a calming effect. No one spoke for a while, both of them gazing at the deep blue in front of them, listening to the sounds of the nature and just enjoying the mutual silence.

˝Jack? ˝Kate suddenly spoke. It was barely a whisper, but he heard it. She paused for a minute, her gaze still fixed firmly in front. ˝Do you…do you believe we´ll ever be…_us _again? ˝she asked sadly.

He turned his head to look at her. She was still staring in front, but he knew her enough that she didn't care about the ocean anymore. _She was waiting for his answer, and scared of it at the same time. _

He returned his gaze towards the ocean too, crossing his arms on his knees. _Will they ever be ´them´ again? _It was a difficult question. His mind flashed to the way he´d felt when he finally saw her again, all messy and confused, behind that damned glass; to the jolt his heart had given as he saw her standing in that doorway when she came back for him, to how it felt to have her hands on his again in that game room; to how…_natural _it seemed, for that brief period tonight, to watch her flirt with him. He realized he already knew the answer to it.

He slowly turned to look at her. She looked so…_peaceful_; and yet so tormented at the same time. Her curls were fluttering silently in the wind, and the whole scene reminded him to that moment only a couple of days after he´d met her. _We should all be able to start over._ He smiled. ˝Yeah, I believe we will. ˝he said softly, and she looked at him, emerald eyes digging into chocolate ones. ˝It´ll just take time. ˝he added quietly, his eyes pleading her to understand.

She nodded. _Time. She had that_. ˝Okay. ˝she said.

˝Okay. ˝he repeated.

_And with that said, they both returned their gazes towards the ocean again, happy because tomorrow would be a new day..._


	18. Chapter 18

_Season two…_

_Jack and Kate got together, but they haven't jexxed yet. One night, the Losties had a party, alcohol included, and Kate had a couple of drinks too much. ;) This is a story of the morning after…_

Kate wakes up, groaning. Her head is pounding. It feels like thousands of hammers are slamming down on her, over and over again. She wants to die.

Jack -_sitting by the entrance of her tent, looking at her, amused_- Votka´s not so fun the morning after, huh?

Kate grunts, opening her eyes slowly. The light blinds her, and she lets herself fall down on the bed again, burying her face in the pillows. ˝Hey.˝ she mumbles quietly.

Jack –_amused_-: Hey back.

Kate groans, mumbling something indistinct.

Jack: What?

Kate -_her head sensitive to any noise_-: Talk…more…quietly…I…beg you.

Jack chuckles; then approaches her.

Jack -_offering her a glass_-: Here.

Kate -_slowly turns around, blinking_-: What´s…that?

Jack –_chuckling_-: Oh, just some grossy slimy yuckiesh thingie that I bet tastes like hell. -_more gently now_- But Sun swears it helps with hangovers.

Kate takes the glass from him, starts drinking it, her face grimacing in disgust; but she forces herself to finish it; then hands him back the glass.

Kate: Urgh, I´ll never drink again.

Jack chuckles, putting the glass down; then goes to pull down the tarp of her tent, so that the inside is darker, to make it easier to her.

Kate: Thanks.

She slowly gets herself up in seating position, her head still pounding, but at least the room isn't spinning anymore. And she can clearly see just one Jack now_. Dang!,_ she shrugs. _She kinda liked the two of them. The more the merrier_. She starts looking around the tent…first, she catches a glimpse of her shirt on the floor…a couple of inches away, her jeans are discarded… _then_…

Kate: Oh God!

Jack chuckles, following her gaze.

Jack -_shrugging his shoulders, grinning_-: Hey, _I_ didn't have anything with that.

Kate –_horrified_-: Did we…uhm…you know? -_blushes completely_-

Jack –_amused_-: No, Kate, we didn't. -_more serious_- I don't tend to use women when they´re drunk and out of their senses. -_seeing that she´s still looking at her clothes on the ground confused_- For some reason, you just thought it would be fun to do a striptease in front of me last night.

Her eyes go wide as glimpses of her little show come back to her mind. Jack chuckles; then, seeing that she´s still a bit disorientated, adds:

Jack: You were in no state to find the right tent -_chuckles at the memory, Kate looks at him deathly; he straightens up_-, so I walked you back and helped you in.

Kate: Oh. -then_, seeing the traces that visibly suggested that he slept inside on the floor, asks; her eyebrows frowning in confusion_-: Why did you stay then?

Jack -_gently_-: ´Cause you asked me to.

She looks up at him, he smiles tenderly, she smiles too. Then, another glimpse of memory returns to her.

Kate -_embarrassed_-: Oh, God, did I even _beg_ you at some point?

Jack smiles. Considering that a ´_Yes_´, Kate ducks herself under the covers again, wanting to disappear. After a while, she finally sits up again, terrified as another thought crosses her mind.

Kate -_avoiding his gaze_-: Besides…besides _that_, I...I didn't say anything stupid, did I?

Jack chuckles.

Jack: You mean...besides… _proposing_ me? -his lips stretch into a grin-

Kate -_going pale_-: W-what?

Jack -_amused by her reaction_-: Relax. I'm kidding. -_She shoots him a deathly glare; Jack, matter-of-factly_- But you _did_ say that you wanna have my babies.

Kate looks at him, eyes wide with shock, her cheeks flushing as she starts to remember more details.

Jack: Let´s see…how was it again? -_pretending to try to remember something_- Oh yeah, _Superboy_ if it´s a boy; and _VonderGirl_ if it's a girl, written with -_making a V sign with his fingers_-´V´ so we could call her ˝V˝

She looks up at him in horror, her face crimson now. He watches her amused; then his face turns to confused as she gets up and starts heading towards the entrance.

Jack -_catching her just as she´s about to step out of the tent_-: Whoa, whoa, where are you going?

Kate -_snappy_-: To drown myself. I wanna die right now, and I figured sea´s the closest way.

Jack laughs, pulling her backwards; a bit too fast, she looses her balance, causing them both to fall down, her landing on top of him. -_The upper parts of their bodies are inside of her tent, only their legs are peeking outside_- They look up; everything´s silent for a moment; then they both burst out laughing, remembering the last time they were in a similar situation.

Jack –_laughing_-: We really need to stop meeting in this position. –_chuckling_- It´s not good for my back.

Kate laughs: Yeah.

They both calm down after a while; sounds of laugh quieting as they realize just how close they are.

Jack -_cupping her face between his hands_-: Hey.

Her eyes meet his; they´re looking at each other for a few moments; then, Jack slowly leans forward for a kiss, his lips gently on hers, his fingers intertwining with her curls and she closes her eyes, enjoying the sensation.

The scene switches to outside of the tent as we watch Hurley and Charlie strolling along.

Hurley -_to Charlie, pointing to Jate´s intertwined legs peeking outside of the tent_-: What do you think Jack and Kate are up to?

Charlie –_nonchalantly_-: Oh, probably working on a… -_louder so Jate could hear_- …SuperBoy. -_they hear Kate´s embarrassed sigh from the inside; Charlie, his voice mocking_- Or is it a _VonderGirl_, -_Charlie makes a V sign_- with a V?

˝Please shoot me now˝, Kate says as she buries her head in Jack chest. He smiles, kissing the top of her head. They hear Charlie and Hurley walking away, laughing.

Jack: Don´t worry. Charlie and Hurley´s teasing is nothing. -_Kate lets out a relieved sigh; oblivious that Jack´s mocking her, until...; Jack, amused, proudly_- _Sawyer_ has it all taped.

Kate´s head shoots up.

p.s. Oh and, I forgot to say, I got an inspiration for this after watching a movie with Jude Law, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet called _Holiday_ ;)


	19. Chapter 19

Thanks for the comments, guys. ;) Here´s the next installment, and, since today´s Halloween, I decided it to be of an appropriate theme ;)

_**Trick-or-treat**_

˝Trick-or-treat? ˝she said as she stepped on the sand, coming behind him.

He turned to greet her, his face stretching into a smile as he watched her approaching. ˝Excuse me? ˝

˝Well, according to Hurley´s Fun-things-to-do calendar, ˝she said as she squatted down next to him, ˝today´s Halloween, so...trick-or-treat? ˝she asked again and offered him her hand, palm faced up; titling her head sideways and dimpling him.

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. _She looked cute when she did that_. ˝Well, Happy Halloween then. ˝he said, smiling at her. ˝Unfortunately, I don't have any treat, so...˝he said, shrugging.

˝No, I don't think that´s true, Jack. ˝she said, making him look up, confused. ˝You see…rumor is that you´re the owner of the last survived-from-hatch Apollo bar. ˝

Jack let out a laugh. _Of course – it was about chocolate. During the past couple of weeks, they´d been hanging out even more than usual; a thing that enabled him to get to know more about her, like her favorite singer, movie and, of course, that she was a chocolate freak_. He chuckled. ˝Romor, huh? ˝

Kate nodded cutely. ˝Yep.˝ She bit down on her lower lip, looking at him under her eyelashes. ˝So…how about that candy, Jack? ˝

Jack had to hold back the laugh – obviously, she though she was irresistible with that kind of look. She was right, of course; but he wanted to have some fun before. ˝So…I have to either give you my last candy, or spend the rest of the day in fear of your revenge? ˝he said teasingly.

She frowned her forehead for a bit as if to pretend she was thinking; then looked up at him again and replied happily. ˝Yep, that's about right. ˝

Jack chuckled. ˝Well, in that case, I pick…_trick_. ˝he said, laughing as he saw the look of shock on her face. She definitely hadn't expected that.

˝Jack, _trust me_, when it comes to tricks, you _don't_ want to challenge _me_. ˝she said matter-of-factly; and he smiled again. She looked so cute.

˝Well, thanks for the warning, Kate, but I´m actually feeling quite brave today, so I´m gonna take my chances. ˝he said, still grinning.

He watched her get up and shake the sand off of her jeans; then she turned to glare at him. ˝Fine then…you asked for it. ˝she said warningly before storming off down the beach; him still having a grin plastered on his face as he watched her leave…

…...

_Approximately 8-10 hours later, it´s already dark…_

Jack let out a satisfying moan as the cold water embraced his body. _He´d been busy the whole day, the change of weather causing almost everyone to have either soar throat or their nose running or their skin burning with fever; and he had also volunteered to help Sayid and Sawyer with chopping the woods, so when he was finally done with all the work, he decided to take a little swim in the nearby lake, to help him get rid of the stress and tiredness. Despite his original nonchalant reaction to her warning, he had spent most of the day being on the guard, in case she really decided on embarrassing him in one way or another. But, as the day went by, nothing was happening, so he convinced himself that she had either forgotten about it all or had been too busy to deal with the pranks for him. Exhausted and in need for some relaxation, he had left the beach and come to the lake that was some 30, 40 minutes away from the camp, hoping that the cold water would provide a calming effect his body was yearning for. He had taken off his shirt and jeans; and then, after a quick glance around to be sure he was alone, taken off his boxers too, knowing that there usually wasn't anyone so far away, especially in the night._

So now he was swimming peacefully in the lake, his mind free of any worry…until he heard a whistle coming from the shore, startling him so much that he almost drowned.

˝Hey there, cowboy! ˝she said, waving with something, and he nearly choked as he realized it was his clothes. _No, she __**wouldn't**__…_

˝K-Kate, what are you d-doing? ˝he asked, terrified; although he´d already known the answer.

˝I guess you won't be needing these anymore. ˝he heard her saying. ˝Unless…you wanna reconsider your answer from this morning. ˝she said, grinning; and he cursed silently under his breath. _How could have he been so stupid and let his guards down? He knew her well enough by now to know that she wasn't the one to give up_. ˝So, Jack…what is it gonna be...chocolate…or clothes? ˝

He was about to give up; when suddenly popped on his mind. ˝How ´bout you give me back my clothes and I won´t tell Sawyer that you´ve been secretly stealing from his stash? ˝he said and grinned broadly as he saw the change on her face.

He titled his head and smiled sweetly at her; watching the wheels turn in her head until she finally came to the realization that she was cornered. Her eyes had a power to kill as she glared at him and muttered ˝I hate you.˝ between her teeth.

She threw him his clothes and turned around until he finished putting it on.

˝If it makes you feel any better, ˝he started as he came to stand in front of her, ˝the idea was brilliant. _Really_ sneaky. ˝he said, grinning; and she couldn't help but smile too.

˝Thanks. ˝she said. ˝Shame it didn't work though. ˝she added disappointingly; and he smiled, patting her on the shoulder, with a comforting ˝Maybe next year. ˝

˝Yeah. ˝she replied meekly, shrugging it off.

He bent down to tie his shoes and she caught herself staring at him; something that, unfortunately for her, didn't seem to miss his eyes too.

˝What? ˝she asked irritated, as he straightened up, smirk playing on his face.

˝Nothing, nothing. ˝he replied, ˝Just wondering _who_´s checking out _who_ this time. ˝he added, grinning at her mockingly.

˝Oh, please! I wasn't checking you out. ˝she hurried, but even as she was pronouncing the words, she could feel her cheeks blushing, making her even more irritated than she´d been before. _How could it happen that everything turns around full circle in such a short time? When she came here to find him, she was sure the win was hers._ She saw him rolling his eyes and she swallowed down the cry of frustration. Sometimes, he could be so, so…. Desperate to regain at least some amount of control of the situation, she forced herself to straighten up, hoping her voice sounded honest enough as she said: I wasn't checking you out…because….because you don't have that effect on me. ˝she said, not able to meet his eyes.

Jack watched her amused. ˝Oh, _really_? ˝he said, stepping forwards and closing the distance between them in a second. She was leaning against a tree, and his hands went on her hips, capturing her in-between.

˝So, you say you wouldn't be affected even in slightest if I, let´s say…did _this_? ˝he said as he reached his hand towards one of the curls that would always find its way out, no matter how hard Kate tried to keep it in control. She watched him as he carefully wrapped his fingers around the curl and tucked it softly behind her ear; her eyes still open; her being determined not to let her guard down, not to let it show exactly how much this simple gesture was affecting her, to the point that she was already starting to melt into a pool of mush. ˝Or…_this_? ˝he continued, his voice slower and slower, as he brought both of his hands up, gently cupping her face. As her eyes flickered up and down between his eyes and lips, she desperately fought with the need to simply…give in, to close her eyes and surrender to him; but as his eyes turned the darker shade of brown, and his face started to lean in, she knew she was fighting the lost battle, so she finally let go, closing her eyes as his lips landed on hers, soft and tender; his hands still cupping her face, holding her delicately, as if afraid she would break down in his arms. She felt him starting to pull away and a sigh left her mouth as his lips detached from hers; but he didn't go much away, his forehead resting against hers, both of them recovering from what they'd just shared.

He breathed in and out, his eyes closed; just enjoying this moment; the feeling of having her soft and warm body so close to his. _If someone had told him this morning that, 10 hours later, he would be kissing Kate, he would have proclaimed that person ready for mental institution. And yet, here he was._ He tried to remember how this all started, and his lips stretched into a grin as their little Halloween talk returned to his mind.

˝You know… I´m starting to enjoy this whole trick-or-treat thing. ˝he said, smiling. ˝Can come in handy when you need to prove or get something. ˝he continued with a smirk. ˝So, Kate…what´s it gonna be… _trick_… ˝he said, leaning forward, his lips inches away from her earlobe, but not touching it, his breath warm on her skin, her head spinning; ˝…or _treat_…˝he whispered hoarsely, lowering his face until his lips were on her collarbone; then plunging into her skin, gently sucking the spot where her neck meets her shoulder, making her clutch the hems of his shirt more tightly, unsure in her own balance in that moment. He smiled against her skin, enjoying the effect he obviously had on her; then placed a little kiss on his collarbone before moving his lips once again, this time only inches away from her own. He noticed she had her eyes closed, her breathing uneven as she focused all of her attention on anticipation of the kiss. Slowly, he leaned in a bit more, his nose brushing against hers now, him taking a time to enjoy this newly found intimacy, before he whispered again, this time barely audible: ˝_Tric_…˝he said and started to pull away…

˝Don't even dare. ˝she warned him dangerously as she grabbed the collars of his shirt and pulled him back on her, her lips crushing against his, making him lose all control he had until that moment. He returned the kiss eagerly, their tongues feverishly dueling for control as they staggered on the ground, the need to be with each other, to love each other, stronger than anything any of them felt before. And as the waterfall continued to rustle in the background, and the moonlight rays shone above them, they finally gave in into the love they were feeling for each other.

_Next morning…_

She was awoken by a feeling of someone's fingers brushing tenderly across her cheeks; but she decided to ignore it, convinced it was another one of her dreams about waking up with Jack by her side and optioning to keep her eyes firmly closed, not wanting the feeling to disappear. But soon the fingers were replaced by someone´s lips, gently kissing the corner of her mouth and resting there for a moment, before landing fully on her lips; gently parting them and sneaking in a soft kiss. She decided it felt too real to be a dream, so she forced herself to open her eyes, his smiley face greeting her as she finally adjusted to the light.

˝Hey. ˝he said softly, and leaned down to give her another small kiss.

She looked around, confused; then smiled as the memories of last night returned to her mind. ˝Hey. ˝she said shyly and Jack found himself falling in love with her even more as he watched tiny shades of pink appearing on her cheeks. Her curls were spread across the grass, her eyes still glossy from sleep, and he had to wonder how something could be so beautiful.

˝I have something for you. ˝he said sweetly. She raised an eyebrow, intrigued; and she watched him reach behind and, once his hand returned, inside of it was a red&black-papered chocolate bar. ˝Thought you deserved it after everything you´d went through to get it. ˝he said chuckling, and she hit him on the shoulder playfully, her lips stretching into a smile at his thoughtfulness. She watched him unwrap the paper; then break off a small piece, bringing it to her mouth; teasing her at first, then letting it fall down and then finally closing his lips over hers as. And as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him on her, there was one thing she was absolutely sure of: that was the best chocolate she´d ever had in her life.

_____

Happy Halloween, Jaters! ;)


	20. Chapter 20

˝YOUR SON?! YOU´RE NOT EVEN RELATED TO HIM?! ˝he shouted out; then froze, realizing immediately he had crossed the line. He watched first shock, then pain washing over her face; and he turned around, his hand brushing through his hair. _How the hell did he let it go this far?_ But as much as he regretted saying what he´d said, that little voice inside of his head wouldn't shut up_. She was doing something for __him__. She was doing something for __Sawyer__. After all these years… after everything that happened….was it possible that she still…still loved __him__?_ And the anger returned full force. ˝I wanna know where you were, Kate! ˝he said, turning around abruptly and crossing the distance between them.

˝Jack, please…˝she tried; but he wouldn't listen, his head on fire, the alcohol burning down his veins.

˝I wanna know what you did and who you were with! ˝he demanded angrily, trapping her between his body and the wall.

˝Jack - ˝she tried again, but suddenly stopped, as she felt something rising up in her stomach. Her face went pale. _No, not now. It can´t happen now. _She tried to ignore the feeling as he kept on ranting, not really listening to him; but she knew she was fighting the lost battle, the nausea becoming stronger and stronger. ˝Let me go…Jack, let me go. ˝she tried, but he wouldn't let it – he was still stronger, her arms holding her tightly, his fingers digging into her elbows as he kept on yelling. ˝I wanna know, Kate! Tell me!

˝I said LET GO OF ME! ˝she screamed, struggling to get free, tears streaming down her face.

˝TELL ME! ˝he shouted back, mad from rage.

_It was almost there; only a couple of minutes more and she would… No, she couldn't, not here, not now, not when he was like this_. _This isn't how it was supposed to happen_. ˝TELL ME! ˝ She looked around, feeling trapped_. She __had__ to find a way, she __had__ to set free._ ˝I SAID TELL ME! ˝_It was only a matter of seconds now_. With all the force she could muster, she swung her leg and hit him hard in the crotch with her knee, causing him to gasp and bend down in pain; letting go of her as he slowly collapsed on the floor. She saw the shocked expression on his face, but she didn't have time to wait for the next reaction; the nausea hitting her hard. With the last strength she had left, she made a run towards the bathroom; him on her heels, still stumbling from the blow she´d given him.

˝Kate, what the hell are you doi…? ˝He opened the bathroom´s door and sobered up instantly, every trace of rage and anger vanishing as the scene in front of him, and the implications it had, reached his mind.

She was crouched on the floor, kneeling in front of the toilet seat, her face pale, one hand pressed against her stomach, the other tightly squeezing the seat.

He saw her struggling to keep the breathing even as she recovered from the first wave of the nausea that was getting worse and worse in the past couple of weeks. ˝Kate? ˝he said carefully, his hand still on the door handle.

She looked up, tears streaming down her face as she tried to regain her breath. ˝Go away, Jack. Please, go away. ˝she pleaded, sobbing; before another wave hit her hard, making her lean above the seat and hold onto it forcefully as she emptied the contents of her stomach for the fourth time that day.

He watched her struggling and his heart went out for her. He walked slowly towards the washing-stand; opened the cupboard and pulled out a small towel. She could hear the sound of the water running as he wetted the towel; and then his footsteps as he slowly approached her from behind, nudging her gently to spread her legs; then kneeling down between them. She finally stopped throwing up and as she straightened up to get some air, she felt him pulling her backwards, encouraging her to sit back on his knees. She considered pulling away, because of everything that had just happened, but as her back finally touched his chest as a support, every thought of pulling away disappeared instantly. She felt safe, she felt protected, and as he gently applied the wet cloth on her forehead, she knew she was way past resisting and she finally let herself relax, leaning her head backwards until it rested on his shoulder.

Not many minutes had passed before she had to go down again; but this time she had his arm for a support, holding her tightly as her body shook in his arms. A couple of curls set free, and he brushed them back quickly, gently tucking them behind her ear as she continued to hold tightly to his arm, her fingers digging into it so deeply he was sure there would be traces the day after, this wave very possibly the worst one so far.

He held her tightly until she stopped throwing up; then helped her lean back on him again. ˝It´s okay, just breathe. Just breathe. ˝he whispered softly in her ear, brushing the hairs from her forehead and applying the towel again.

Her eyes were closed, her head leaned backwards as she tried to concentrate on keeping her breathing level. This was far away from how she´d imagined for him to find out, but despite the situation, she was glad he was there, helping her through this. _She´d never felt sicker in her life._

˝You think it´s over? ˝he asked gently, tapping the cloth across her forehead.

˝Yeah. ˝she replied breathlessly, trying to focus on keeping the food down.

˝Can you make it to the living room? ˝

She nodded and he helped her get up, both of them avoiding eye contact, dreading of the conversation they both knew would have to happen. ˝Could you…could you give me some privacy, I…I need to refresh mysef. ˝she asked, blushing a bit, and he nodded.

˝Sure, I´ll…I´ll be I the kitchen. If…if you need anything, just call, okay? ˝

˝Okay. ˝

And, leaving her leaned above the washing-stand, he closed the door behind…

………………

˝Here. ˝he said, offering her a cup of tea, and she took it gratefully, flashing him a shy smile. He took his coffee and placed himself in front of her, settling down in one of the armchairs, elbows leaned against his knees as he slowly took a sip of his coffee; then leaned forward...

˝So...˝he started.

˝So...˝she echoed his words, neither of them knowing what to do or say next. Kate took a sip of the chamomile tea he'd made for her, closing her eyes in relief for a moment; the warm liquid working soothingly almost in an instant, flushing away the feeling of nausea.

˝A baby, huh? ˝he said kinda clumsily, still trying to grasp the magnitude of what it implied; his brain stuck between a terrible hangover on one side and the shocking revelation on the other.

˝Yeah. ˝she replied quietly, her voice softening reflexively. She noticed his eyes flickering up and down between her face and her stomach, and she had to resist the urge to get up and pull him into a hug. _They´d just had one of the biggest fights they´d ever had, if not the biggest; and she still wasn't sure where they were standing right now. Plus, he was still drunk, thought she could see that he was trying his best to ignore it and stay focused. But despite all of his efforts, she couldn't risk. Not anymore. ´Cause she now had not only one, but two other lives to think about; and she was determined to make not only the best choice for her, because it would be him, with no questions asked; but for two innocent bystanders who didn't ask to be a part of all this mess_.

˝How…how far along are you? ˝he asked, startling her from her thoughts; his eyes slowly travelling across her stomach; his mind still not quite processing that there was a baby in there. _Their baby_. -he realized, and his lips stretched into a small smile.

˝Eight weeks. ˝Kate replied softly. ˝I haven't been feeling well for the past few days, so I decided to do some blood test and…they called back on Friday. ˝

Jack looked up at her; opening his mouth to apologize; but then he heard Hurley´s words again. ~_You´re not supposed to raise him, Jack_.~ _What if he was right? What if his dad was right? What if he really didn't have what it takes? What if she secretly thought it too_? ´Cause, otherwise, she would have…

˝Why…˝he started, but she cut him off, the hidden tone of anger in his voice not missing her ears and she knew him well enough to guess where his mind had wandered.

˝Why didn't I tell you? ˝she finished the question and he looked up at her, his eyes still accusing. ˝The reason I didn't tell you, Jack…is because I wanted it to be a surprise. ˝she sighed, tired of all of this. She knew he had had a hard time with his dad, and that it had marked him for life; but she believed they had been together for enough now for him to understand that she _did_ love him, no matter what. ˝For your birthday. ˝she added more quietly; causing him to look at her.

He sighed, shame crossing his face. He leaned backwards, bringing his hands to his head. ˝I really screwed up royally this time, didn't I? ˝he said tiredly, closing his eyes. The alcohol was slowly wearing off, and he was starting to become more and more aware of the mistake he had made. _These past few months had been the happiest he´d ever felt, and now he was risking it all, including a new life on the way_.

He felt her hand on his thigh and finally opened his eyes.

˝Jack…˝she sighed, and the sadness in her voice made him feel even worse.

˝Kate, listen…˝he started, but she cut him off.

˝No, Jack, _you_ listen. ˝she said and took a deep breath. ˝I can't do this anymore. I can't continue like this. I know you have baggage from your past, God knows I have it too, we all do; but you just can't continue to vent whatever it is you remembered your dad had done or said upon me. ˝

He bent his head down in shame – _he knew she was right. He knew he shouldn´t be doing this, or feeling like this; but he just couldn't help it, Hurley´s words ringing in his head whenever he looked at the boy_.

˝When I… when I went to see Hurley, he told me something. He told me Charlie had visited him and that he had told him that…that I wasn't supposed to raise Aaron. ˝he said quietly, causing Kate to look up at him, shocked; but she managed to shake it off soon; taking a deep breath instead before replying:

˝He was right. You´re _not_ supposed to raise him. ˝she said slowly; and Jack looked up at her, hurt. She put the cup down and crossed her hands in her lap. ˝And neither am _I._ ˝she added quietly, her voice getting a melancholic note. ˝And you know why, Jack? Because the one supposed to raise him is _Claire_. ˝she said, not missing the pain flashing in his eyes at the mention of his sister. ˝But she´s not here. And I´m not saying it´s her fault, ˝she hurried as she saw his expression, ˝´cause it isn't. But it´s not _ours_ either, Jack. ˝she said sadly. ˝It just…_happened_. And now we have to live with it. Yes, _we_. ˝she said. ˝´Cause don't think it´s not difficult to me too. Every time I look at his eyes, I see her; every time he does something new, I think how _she_ isn't here to witness it too; every time he calls me ´Mummy´, I remember he already _had_ a Mummy; Mummy who loved him with all her heart. ˝she said, wiping away the tear that was starting to slide down. _He had all of his attention now. As he listened to her words, he actually realized that she was hurting because of this too. He wondered how he had never thought about it before. Ever since they had been rescued, she´d dedicated all her attention to the boy, going through the motherhood and learning about it step by step; but clearly enjoying it. And that was why he had never thought about how she must be feeling guilty too_. ˝But we can´t do anything about it now, Jack. We can´t change the past. ˝she continued when she was sure her voice wouldn't give her up. ˝What we _can_ do, though, is make sure he gets all the love in the world. Make sure he feels loved, safe and protected. ´Cause _that_´s what Claire would want for him. Yes, we might not be _supposed_ to raise him, but we´re all he has. ˝she finished, her voice trembling.

Jack found himself at the loss of words. _He had never thought about it that way, but Kate was right. They couldn't change what happened, but Claire wouldn't want him to abandon the boy, especially since he was his blood._ And then he remembered. ~_Your son? You´re not even related to him!_~ _Oh, God, what did he do?_

˝I´m sorry for what I said. ˝he said quietly. ˝About you not being related to him. I had no right to say that and I´m so sorry. ˝

Kate watched him rub his forehead with his palm, tiredly. _She knew he was sorry and she wanted nothing more than to hug him, to keep him close and assure him that, whatever it was, they would find a way to deal with it; but she had to get one last thing straight first. No matter how hard it was going to be, she had to do it; had to clear it out, ´cause otherwise it would remain hanging above their heads forever_. So she took a deep breath and started. ˝I know I hurt you. Back…back in the cages. ˝she said, and he looked up at her, surprised. ˝I´m aware of that, and…and it hurts me too. Whenever I remember the look on your face or Juliet´s words, that I had broken your heart, it just…it just hurts so much…knowing I´d hurt you that bad. ˝she said, a small tear escaping her eye; but she continued, ignoring it. ˝But, it´s the past, Jack. ˝she said. ˝I know it might sound cruel, but it´s the truth – it´s in the past. ˝She leaned forward, taking hold of his hands and clutching them in hers. ˝I _love_ you, I agreed to _marry_ you and therefore, hopefully, spend _the rest of my life_ with you. ˝she said, slowly losing control of her emotions, another tear sliding down her cheek. ˝And where I was and what I was doing today doesn't change any of that. ˝

He opened his mouth to say something, but she continued. ˝Remember how… when you found out about me being a fugitive…how you didn't say it to anyone, how you kept my secret? Because you thought I wouldn't want everyone to know. ˝she asked, and Jack nodded quietly, starting to realize where she was going with this. ˝It´s the same thing with this. I already told you it had nothing to do with us, and I meant it, I really meant it, Jack. Before he…before he jumped, I made him a promise and I´m fulfilling that promise now. It had something to do with his life prior to the crash, but I can´t tell you what it is; because if I do, I would feel as if I was betraying him, betraying our friendship. And I ask you to respect that, okay? ˝she said. ˝I ask you to believe me. I know it´s hard for you, I know Sarah cheated on you and that it left scars on you and your POV on the relationships; but I would never do that to you. Not again. Not now. I love you and I would never hurt you like that again, okay? ˝she said, not able to keep her emotions under control anymore, tears streaming down her face.

He watched her body shaking in front of him and suddenly, it was all clear to him. _She was telling the truth. She loved him and only him and whatever it was she was doing for Sawyer, it had nothing to do with them_. And as the realization hit him, he felt a huge burden being lifted off of his shoulders. He leaned forward and pulled her close, his arms wrapping protectively around her as she sobbed in his embrace, the trials and tensions of the day finally catching up with her. They stayed like that for a few minutes, her hands clutching the hems of his jacket; him cradling her slowly until her breathing finally returned her normal. He put his hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her away; his fingers stopping at her chin and nudging it upwards, making her look at him. ˝I´m sorry for what I said. And I´m sorry for doubting in you. I love you and I promise I´ll never do something similar again. ˝His hands went upwards, gently cupping her face. ˝I know how it felt growing up with an alcoholic, and I know you know it too; and I assure you I won´t let Aaron or this little one, ˝he said, his lips stretching into a grin as he looked down at her stomach, ˝go through the same thing. ˝Do you trust me? ˝he asked softly, his puppy eyes digging into hers, and she found herself once again not able to resist. Not when he was looking at her like that.

˝Yeah. I trust you.˝ she nodded, tears steaming down her face and he let out a small smile, relieved. _˝I´ll never hurt her again._ ˝ were the last words he promised himself before he captured her lips with his, pouring all his love and passion in that kiss, as if there was no tomorrow…

…..............

˝Hey there, little one. ˝he said and Kate´s lips stretched into a smile. They were lying in the centre of the bed, their bodies still warm from making love. Jack was propped on his elbows, his face in level with her stomach as his fingers gently caressed the still flushed skin there. ˝I bet you already know that, but you have the most beautiful mummy in the whole world. ˝he said sweetly, placing a soft kiss on Kate´s stomach and making her giggle.

˝You already _got_ lucky tonight, Jack; more than once, if I may add, so there really is no point in you flattering me. ˝she said jokingly and he grinned.

˝Maybe I´m planning to go with the forth, so…just creating friendly environment. ˝he joked back and she smacked his arm. ˝Hey, what was that for? ˝he asked, pretending insulted, but she flashed him one of her dimpled grins and he couldn't resist not grinning back. ˝So…have you thought about any names? ˝he said, his fingers lazily tracing some only-him-known shapes over the surface of her stomach.

˝Not really. It´s all been happening too soon. ˝she said; then, after a couple of seconds, added. ˝I´d like it to be something unique, not too classy but not too modern either. ˝

˝Hmm…how about… _Jax_? ˝he said, looking up at her.

˝Jax? ˝

˝Yeah. It´s unique, but at the same time short and easy to pronounce. Plus, it would flow good with the surname. _Jax Thomas Shephard_. ˝he said and she felt the tingling sensation in her eyes when she realized he had included Tom´s name as the middle name. _That was really kind of him._

˝Jax Thomas Shephard. ˝she repeated, tasting the name. ˝I like it. What if it´s a girl? ˝she asked, propping herself on the elbows too, so she could look at him more easily.

˝Hmm, I don't know…what do you think? ˝

˝Well, there´s this one name that I really liked when I was little. ˝she said, blushing a bit.

˝Yeah? Which one? ˝he urged, his chin resting on her stomach.

˝Jade. ˝

˝Jade Shephard. ˝he tried, his lips stretching into a smile. ˝It´s beautiful. ˝

Kate smiled. ˝So I guess we have it settled then. ˝

˝Yeah. ˝he repeated, placing one last kiss on her stomach; then going up until he was level with her face.

˝Jax or Jade Shephard. ˝she repeated and, satisfied with the way it sounded, smiled one more time, before his mouth swallowed hers again, taking away every coherent thought from her mind as she gave in to his touches…

_Little did they know it were twins: a boy and a girl._

_____

Please let me know what you think ;)

p.s. If someone didn´t catch it - the baby´s names, if pronounced quickly and sliiiightly different, basically give ´_jex_´ and ´_Jate_´ :p


	21. Chapter 21

Tnx for the reviews, guys! *hug*

Here´s a shorter one, but cute nevertheless. Expect more of updates as Christmas is approaching – I´m getting Jate+Christmas ideas almost daily. *giggle*

p.s. The song is Heaven by Bryan Adams. ;)

_**Golden Romance**_

She was standing on the deck, leaning against the railing and staring down at the waves crashing restlessly against the bow of the boat. She had always been kind of a sea person, loving the ocean: the scent, the scenery and generally the feeling of it, finding in it some kind of comfort and piece, an escape from all her problems, at least for a moment.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts she didn't even hear him coming, jumping a bit, startled, as he wrapped his arm around her waist from behind.

˝Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. ˝he said softly, placing a gentle kiss on the side of her neck. ˝Here. ˝he added, handing her a cup of coffee; his other arm finding its way around her waist too; his palms now resting protectively against her stomach.

She removed the lid and smiled as familiar scent hit her nostrils. _It was her favorite brand of coffee. She knew it sounded silly, but it was a coffee they used at home and every time she felt its scent, it reminded her of the mornings she shared with Jack, early, before Aaron would wake up, when there was no one but the two of them, two cups of coffee and the earliest rays of sun breaking in through the curtains_. ˝Thanks. ˝she said as she took the first sip, closing her eyes in delight.

˝I just spoke to my mum. ˝Jack said, resting his chin on her shoulder. ˝Apparently, he´s too occupied with the big playroom and being dotted by everyone in the house, staff included, to miss us yet. ˝he explained and Kate chuckled. _Jack´s mother had been a great help to them and had accepted the whole situation with more grace than Kate could have hoped for, often offering them to babysit Aaron or take him to the playground when they would be too tired or just wanted some time for themselves. When they decided to go on their honeymoon, restricted by Kate´s parole, but wanting to take a couple of days for themselves, Margo was the first one to offer, before they even had a chance to ask her, to look after the boy; and Kate was really grateful to her for that, finding it hard to separate from the boy, but also knowing he would be in good hands_. ˝I did tell her to kiss him goodnight from us, nevertheless. ˝he added and she smiled, touched, turning her head sideways to give him a small peck on the lips.

˝Thanks. ˝

He just smiled and kissed the back of her head. ˝Hey, you cold? ˝he asked a couple of minutes later, feeling her shiver under his embrace.

˝Just a bit. ˝she replied, snuggling in closer. She felt his hands leaving her waist and she started to groan in protest, stopping herself as she realized the reason behind it. She watched him take off his jacket and then put it gently on her shoulders; her taking it by the hems and sinking inside of it, enjoying the scent of him. His arms wrapped around her again, and he leaned his chin on her shoulders, both of them enjoying the peacefulness of the moment.

˝It´s beautiful, isn´t it? ˝Jack whispered quietly.

˝Yeah. ˝she replied, snuggling in his embrace; her eyes focused on the horizon in front of them.

They were slowly approaching the end of their cruise, the boat smoothly gliding down the calm water, sunset reflecting on its surface; and then they saw it, rising up in all its glory – the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge, standing proudly in the centre of the bay, bathed in sunset light. And as they watched it grow bigger and bigger as the boat continued its sailing towards the Bridge, some strange sense of quiet and peacefulness washed over them, both of them thinking how it was the most romantic place they had ever been. And as she watched it in awe, Kate suddenly felt a low humming sound close to her ear, and it took some time before she realized it was coming from Jack: his chin resting on her shoulder, his lips right next to her ear, he was singing a melody, a melody that she soon recognized as the song played on their wedding…

_N' baby you're all that I want_

_When you're lyin' here in my arms_

_I'm findin' it hard to believe_

_We're in heaven._

And as the boat continued to sail across the sunbathed bay, she leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and enjoying the warm ocean breeze as he continued to sing into her ear...

_And love is all that I need_

_And I found it there in your heart_

_It isn't too hard to see_

_We're in heaven…_

Hope you liked it ;)


	22. Chapter 22

Okay, so this is not another update (no, I´m not a machine to produce two chapters in a span of just a couple of hours *giggle*), but a message for **xxlizixx** and **lostie21**. You guys have been so good to me when it comes to this fic that I really feel like I have to give something back to you. So (if you want to, of course), each of you gets to make a request – and I´ll try my best to get it done. So…which scene would you like to see next? Fluff, angst, whatever you want…just send me in a pm ;)


	23. Chapter 23

Hey, everyone! First of all, Merry Christmas! I hope you had a great day. This was written for LF Secret Santa for Abbie (abblette).

_**Christmas Fever**_

˝Here. ˝he said, offering her a cup of tea. ˝Hope you like it: it's guava flavored. I know it´s not as perfect as strawberry or vanilla, but...it was either that or green tea. ˝he apologized sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.

˝Guava is perfect. Thanks. ˝she smiled, taking the cup from him and holding a blanket for him so he could get under it too.

He smiled back and made himself comfortable on the couch next to her, taking a sip from his cup.

They were sitting on the couch in the hatch, both covered all the way till their chins and generally feeling like crap. A couple of days earlier, Kate had got sick, running high fever and all, to a point that she was forced to take a bed-rest; and he had stayed with her the whole time, taking care of her, talking to her and, of course, making sure she followed his doctors instructions. Which, naturally, resulted in him getting sick too.

˝I´ve always loved this movie. ˝she said suddenly, pointing to the big projector screen. ˝I remember, when I was little, every Christmas Eve I´d watch it with my dad. ˝she added quietly, her tone going pensive.

Jack looked at her sideways and he could see a glint of sadness in her eyes. He didn´t know much about her childhood, just a few pieces she would, accidentally or not, share with him; but it was enough to know that it wasn't it wasn't all roses.

˝Yeah, I don't think I can even imagine Christmas without the Wonderful Life. ˝he joked, trying to get her to smile, and he succeeded.

She took another sip of tea; then leaned her head on his shoulder; thing that would come naturally to her now, after having spent days practically locked here together.

They continued to watch the movie in silence, enjoying peace and quiet and each

others´ company until they heard knocking on the door.

˝Hey, guys, you decent? Can we come in? ˝they heard Charlie´s voice and rolled they eyes.

˝Yeah, we wouldn't want to come in on something for which we would need therapy for the rest of our lives. ˝Hurley joined the teasing.

˝Ha, ha. ˝Kate replied sarcastically. ˝It might have been funny the first 5 times you said it, but not anymore. ˝she added, but still couldn't stop a light blush appearing on her cheeks.˝

˝Yeah, guys, you really need to come up with a new joke. ˝Jack said, turning around to greet them.

˝Hey, better safe than sorry, right? ˝Charlie said, grinning, as he entered the room. Hurley followed right behind, both of them carrying large plates. ˝Anyway, we brought you something to eat, including home made Christmas cookies, Rose´s specialty. ˝he said, putting down the plates on the kitchen table.

˝Yeah, we´re having sort of a Christmas party, so we thought to bring a piece of spirit to you too. ˝Hurley explained. ˝But I see you guys are having a good time too. ˝he said, pointing to the movie.

˝Yeah, nothing says ´romance´ like watching the chicks´ movie on Christmas Eve, curled up under the blanket together…You sure you don't have any secret motives, Jack? ˝Charlie teased, nudging Hurley as they both grinned like fools.

˝Charlie…˝Jack said warningly.

˝Okay, okay, we´re going. ˝he replied, grinning from ear to ear.

˝Dude, they probably just want us to leave them alone. ˝Hurley commented as they headed towards the hallway.

˝Yeah, so they could get on it. ˝Charlie agreed, giggling.

˝I swear to God…˝Jack said, starting to get up.

˝Shutting up! ˝he heard them say, and the next moment they heard the sound of the door closing.

˝I´m sorry about that, they´re acting like a pair of nine year olds. ˝Jack apologized, resuming his position.

˝That´s okay, I´m used to it. ˝Kate replied, and snuggled closer to him.

For a few moments, they watched the movie in silence; then Kate suddenly spoke. ˝You think they´re having a great time? ˝she asked; then added, seeing confused look on Jack´s face. ˝At the party? ˝

˝Yeah, I guess. ˝Jack replied. ˝If anyone, Charlie and Hurley are experts for the fun. ˝he said, chuckling at the memory of the day when Hurley organized the first golf competition.

She was quiet for a few minutes; then:

˝I´m sorry I made you sick too. ˝she said quietly, thinking he probably wished he could be at the part as well.

He looked at her, her head leaned on his shoulder, her nose red, her eyes puffy; and he realized there´s no place he would rather be at this moment than where he was right now. ˝I´m not. ˝he said quietly, causing her to look up; their faces only inches apart now.

She swallowed hard, enchanted by how close he was, her eyes flickering up and down to his lips; his to hers too; as the time seemed to halt. They weren't sure who was the one to make the first move, but the next second their lips touched, joining in a long, passionate kiss. Her hands reflexively went around his neck, pulling him closer as his tongue explored her mouth, leaving her breathless and wanting for more. She shifted uncomfortably, her position making her neck hurt, so she pushed herself forwards, straddling him and nesting herself in his lap. His hands went to her back, gently caressing the still warm skin just above her waistband, their tongues dancing slowly in harmony, reviving the memories of the first time and creating some new ones. She felt her head spinning and she slowly pulled away, leaning her forehead against his. They were both breathless.

˝I should have done this the first time you said that line. ˝she whispered quietly, gently brushing her nose against his.

He smiled and kissed her again. He felt her shiver slightly and he pulled away. ˝Hey, you cold? ˝he asked gently, as he brushed his hands up and down her arms.

˝No. ˝she lied, not wanting to end this even though she could feel shivers spreading all across her body.

˝You know…for a fugitive, you have pretty bad lying skills. Amazing. ˝he joked. ˝Now, come here. ˝he said, kissing the top of her forehead then nudging her to lay down, her head leaning against his arm.

They continued to watch the movie in silence, his fingers gently caressing her arm, lulling her to sleep, together with the fever that seemed to increase again. She felt her eyes closing and she knew she wouldn't stay awake for a long anymore.

˝Jack? ˝she called, sleepily.

˝Yeah? ˝

˝Merry Christmas. ˝

˝Merry Christmas, Kate. ˝he replied softly.

˝Jack? ˝she asked again, her voice barely above a whisper now.

˝Yeah? ˝he smiled.

She was quiet for a while, and he started to think she had fallen asleep. Until…

˝I love you. ˝she mumbled sleepily, and the next moment she was out.

He looked down at her, his eyes shining as his lips stretched into a small smile. ˝I love you too. ˝he whispered, landing a small kiss on the top of her head before leaning backwards and closing his eyes too. _This Christmas wouldn't be so bad after all…_

____

Merry Christmas, guys! ;) The new chapter should be up soon.

p.s. **xxlizixx**, don´t worry, I haven't forgotten about you – it´ll be up somewhere around New Year ;)


	24. Chapter 24

Thanks, guys! *hug* As promised…the next chapter ;) This was written for **Lovey** for The Jater Couch´s Secret Santa ;) It´s a bit more angsty, but the next one I´m planning is pure fluff, and considering that the last one was fluff too, I didn't want you to drown in it (though I´m sure you wouldn't mind ;) )

_**Letters and Magic…**_

˝Goodnight, sweetie. ˝she said, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on the boy´s forehead.

˝Night, Mummy. ˝Aaron mumbled quietly.

She watched his eyelids flutter and the next second he was out. She smiled and gently brushed her fingers across his cheek; then got up and crossed the room as quietly as possible. ˝Sweet dreams, angel. ˝she whispered softly before closing the door behind.

She headed downstairs and into the living room. She sat on the couch, poured herself a glass of wine; and then relaxed back; lifting her legs up and adjusting some of the pillows to make herself more comfortable. She reached for the nightstand and took a thick-looking notebook and a pen waiting for her. She slowly traced the cover of the notebook with her fingers, as if reviving some precious memory; then carefully opened the first page. She smiled sadly, remembering when she first started writing in it. _It was the day after he had moved out; taking most of his things, __**and**__ her heart, away with him. Back then, she had still believed that it would be just a temporary thing, that he __**would**__ come back soon. Not wanting him to miss any day of hers, __**or**__ Aaron´s, life, she had bought herself the notebook, sort of a diary, determined to write down every important detail of their day, so that she could show it to him once he was back. Every day for the past three months, she would find time to sit down _(usually late at night, like this, when Aaron was sleeping)_ and tell him about their day. Sometimes, it would be important stuff, like when she got promoted or Aaron´s first day of preschool; the others just simple, ordinary things, like what food they ate or where they went for a picnic. Sure, she didn't write only about their __**days**__, but about her __**feelings**__ too. Sometimes, she would fill dozen of pages describing what she missed about him; or write down just a line or even just a word, but that had the strength of thousands of pages. Other times, she would have an imaginary fight with him, yelling at him for leaving them and making their lives miserable. Good moments, bad moments, happy, angry, sad ones…she would put them all down. And she continued keeping her diary. Why? She didn't know. The original hope of giving it to him one day, the day he came back, had slowly started to disappear. With every day passed, chances of that happening were smaller and smaller. And yet…she kept her diary. ´Cause even though she would never admit it, there was still a part of her that held on dearly to that hope. A part of her where he wasn't just a memory. A place in her where his fingerprints still rested, his kisses still lingered and his voice still echoed. That place was her heart._

She skimmed through the pages; finally opening the last one she wrote on. She took a deep breath, breathed out…and started writing.

_Dear Jack,_

_I know you´re probably wondering why I´m still doing this. To tell you the truth, I don't even know it myself. I guess there´s just a part of me that can´t stop hoping. Hoping that one day you will come back to us. It is getting more and more difficult though. It´s been three months now that you left. __**One**__ that I saw you last time, at the airport. I haven't heard from you since. I don't know if it´s a good sign…or a bad one. A part of me hopes that it means that you´ve finally decided to ask for help, to get over the addiction; but then the other one emerges, stronger than the first one; that fears that you´ve got yourself in even deeper. I try to be positive, try to make the first one win; but, as I said, it´s getting more and more difficult. Especially in this time of the year, when everyone seem happy and without a worry in the world. It´s easier for Aaron, ´cause he´s a firm believer in the magic of Christmas. He´s really got himself into the spirit of Christmas this year, and he deeply believes Santa will bring you back home. He said it to me just an hour ago. We were in his bedroom, getting ready for bed. I was finishing the story, and he noticed me glancing nostalgically at the chair you used to sit in, to do the same thing. You know what he told me? He put his little hands on top of mines, looked up at me and said, his eyes full of faith: ˝Don't be sad, Mummy. I asked Santa to bring us Jack back. ˝How sweet was that? It took me all the strength I could gather not to break down right there. Kids are so sweet and innocent. I wish __**I**__ still had that blind faith in Santa and all the magic. Sure, a part of me __**still**__ hopes, but it´s getting smaller and smaller with every day passed. This reminds me of the whole Man of Science/Man of Faith conflict between you and Locke, back on the island. As much as I´ve always held your side, I don't want to be a Man of Science, Jack. Not now, not when it comes to this. But it´s only a matter of time. :(_

_I was going through some newspapers today; not really reading them, just trying to have something to keep me occupied until Aaron wakes up; and something caught my eye. It was a quote, from a book or a poem, I can't remember right now; but I remember that it really hit the cord. It was like someone took my life of the past couple of months, and turned it into words. I´ve read it so many times I know it by heart now. I divided it into a couple of smaller parts, because each line brings a different memory in me. Different moment, different feeling, different conversation. Wanna hear it?_

_Here is the first part:_

_**~ I miss you when something really good happens, because you´re the one I want to share it with. ~**_

_It´s not even funny how familiar this feels like. Ever since we first met, every since you asked me to stitch you up back on that beach… you´ve always been the one I confided in the most, the one I went to if I had a problem or just wanted to talk about random things, like what I ate that day or how I managed to trick Hurley into giving me what I wanted. ;) And then, after the trial, as you moved in to live with us, that need grew even stronger. You were my lover, you were my partner, but, most of all, you were my friend; someone I always knew I could turn to. It´s difficult now, you know? Not having you here. Not just physically, but emotionally too. It´s just so…__**hard**__ when something nice happens to me, and I have no one to share it with. Like…the other day, Aaron´s preschool had a play. It was really cute and intimate, just teachers and children and their parents. He was playing an angel, and…you should have seen him as he went on to the stage and recited his lines, his eyes shining…I don't think I´ve ever been more proud. And then when he came to the part when he was supposed to say ˝Mary´ and he said ´Mely´ instead (yeah, it still happens sometimes that he has a hard time with pronouncing the ´r´, but, we´re working on it ;) ), and then just tilted his head and gave everyone his sweetest dimpled smile, I reflexively turned sideways, wanting to share it with you…and then realized you weren't there. Or when he came back from preschool the other day, proudly holding his paper and announcing me that he had learned to write to 5 that day. (I had a hard time keeping my emotions under control, ´cause I remembered your – or should I say __**ours**__, because it has become such an important part of me too – counting to 5) It´s moments like those when I really wish you were here. _

_The second one makes it even harder to deal with:_

_**~ I miss you when something is troubling me, because you´re the one who understands me so well. ~**_

_I still remember our days on the island, how we used to sit in silence, by the fire, not talking much, but just…enjoying each others´ company. Being there for each other. When you would notice something troubling me and I wouldn't feel like talking about it, you would just sit down next to me, not prying, just…being there. It really meant much. Somehow, with you, I´ve always had a feeling that no many words were needed, that you understood me. I miss that feeling. I miss knowing that, when something bad happens, or when I just need someone to talk to, that you´re there for me. _

_The third one reminded me of how you always knew to make laugh...or simple hold me until I felt comforted:_

_**~ I miss you when I laugh and cry, because I know you are the one that makes my laughter grow, and my tears disappear. ~**_

_Remember our golf game? You were so cute that day, trying to show off, but being so distracted by me that you couldn't concentrate on the game. I miss those carefree days. Or that day in the jungle, when you held me close and managed to calm me down with just your presence, your embrace, your gentle words. I remember, as I looked up at your eyes in that moment, everything seemed to disappear if only for a moment. It was the day we first kissed. I´m still sorry that I ran away. Later, I swore never to run away from you again. Or at least, if it happens, to always come back. Now __**you**__´re the one doing the running. If only you would do the coming back part too._

_I recognized myself in all of the above. But the one that struck me the hardest…was the last one. _

_**~ I miss you all the time, but I miss you the most when I lay awake at night, and think of all the wonderful times that we spent with each other; for those were some of the best and most memorable times of my life. ~**_

_I still find it hard not to break down when I read these lines. In fact, I´m pretty sure I will lose the battle this time, since a couple of tears already managed to escape my eyes. How to even put in words the truth of this last statement? During the day, I manage it somehow: have to make breakfast for Aaron, get us both ready for job/preschool, take him there… then I get myself busy with work, go for a coffee break or something; then back to take Aaron home; spend some quality time with him, make dinner. The days…the days are easy. Or at least __**easier**__. The nights…the nights are hell. Sometimes, when I lay awake in my bed… __**our**__ bed… instead of drifting to sleep, my mind wonders to all the moments we spent together. The day we first met… you saying everyone deserves a second chance… the day you got trapped in the cave, how scared I was… the guava seeds, you carrying the dynamite instead of me…Then our lighter moments, like the golf game or that night we had dinner together…the day you walked in on me in the shower (I still remember how cute you looked like then )…our first kiss and the gloomy days that followed…getting caught in the net with you and you saying you weren't sorry. Then there were also darker days, when it felt as if all forces of hell joined together to keep us apart – being separated from you…seeing you in that hydra station for the first time…having to leave you. It was probably one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. But what kept me together was the determination to get you back; the knowledge that, as soon as I reached the camp, I would go back for you. I can still recall every single detail of that day when I got a chance to talk to you again, to touch you, to feel you – back in that game room. The sound of your footsteps…the squeaking of the chair as you pulled it forward…the broken tone in which you said you weren't with anyone. You just sounded so broken, so…alone. And then finally the feeling of your skin beneath mine, as I laid my hand on yours…Have you any idea how good it was to be able to touch you again? To feel your skin next to mine? And the way you whispered you would come back for me. I still remember every single word. Even the tone in which you said it. ´But I will come back here for you.´ Will you, Jack? I know you would have back then, but what I´m asking is: Will you __**now**__? Will you ever come back again? _

_There…now I lost it. Happy? Please come back home, Jack. I miss you so damn much. I remember how hard it was; back when we returned from the Others, …how hard it was to be around you and not seem to get through you. You kept your distance, you spent more and more time with Juliet, and every second of it was breaking my heart a bit more. Those were some of the hardest days of my life. But even then…even then it wasn't as hard as it is now. You know why? Because you were there. Even though you were distant, even though you wouldn't talk to me, I knew you were there. And I knew that, eventually, you would come back to me. Things would be good again. I don't know that anymore, Jack. And that´s what hurts the most. I don't know if I´ll ever see your face again, feel your touch, hear those simple yet strongest words escape your mouth. Remember how you said them the first time? ´Because I love you.´ They were the most shocking and, at the same time, most natural words I´ve ever heard. I´m sorry it took me so long to say them back. I´m sorry I didn't react immediately back then. If I had, maybe we would have had more time. Maybe we would… But, even as I write this, I know that no time would be enough. Days, months, years…I´d always want more. __**Need**__ more. There´s never enough time. The first time I realized it…well, not really the __**first**__ time, but the one that struck me the most…was the day of your surgery. Watching you in agony like that, hearing your screams and knowing I can't do anything to help you…there are no words able to describe how that felt. And then there were Juliet´s words, playing over and over in my head: ´And if that happens, he dies. ´The thought that I could lose you…lose you forever…was the scariest experience of my life. It was __**then**__ that I decided that, if you made it through, I would do something about it…about __**us**__. ´Cause I couldn't risk something happening to you and you not knowing. Not knowing how I felt about you. I hope I managed to convey it enough during our life together. Apparently not, since you walked away. But still, deep down inside, I want to believe that you __**did**__ know. If anything, my reaction to you proposing me should have been enough for you. Speaking about that, I still have a ring, you know? I keep it on a necklace, close to my heart. In fact, I'm holding it between my fingers right now. It´s beautiful. You should see it right now, with the lights of the Christmas tree reflecting on it. Our tree is really beautiful this year, you know? Everything is in gold and red, except the Santa´s face figurine you bought him last year, that Aaron insisted me to put it in the most visible place, so Santa could see he´s welcomed when he comes in the house. Yeah, he´s cute like that. Aaron, not Santa. ;) _

_Speaking of Santa, I should really eat those cookies and drink the milk now, before I fall asleep. Aaron´s been helping me with the cookies the whole day, and he would be mock insulted to find out Santa didn't try his cookies. Hold on just a second…I will come back to you once I finish them. _

Kate put the pen down and took the plate with 3 chocolate cookies on it. Slowly, she munched on them; looking at the Santa figurine smiling at her from its important place on the tree. Somehow, as she stared at its kind face, it seemed as if she was a child again. _As if the magic __**could**__ happen._ ˝If only the real life functioned the same way. ˝she thought before she took the glass and drank down the milk; returning the glass and the plate back on the nightstand. She was so tired: both physically and emotionally drained. She felt her eyes closing, but she resisted, not quite wanting to go upstairs to the empty bed. She took the pen again, but didn't start writing: somehow, she couldn't tear her eyes off of the Santa´s figurine. _Even though she was an adult, looking at it…a part of her wanted to believe – believe that miracles __**were**__ possible, that magic __**was**__ real, that he __**could**__ come back home. _Suddenly, she thought she saw a small flicker, as if the Santa winked at her; and she froze, bewildered, but she quickly shook it off. ˝It was just the lights. ˝she convinced herself; but still couldn't help but whisper a quiet ˝_Please bring him back home._ ˝as she drifted to sleep.

……………..

She woke up at the sound of something falling on the floor. Her eyes shot open, and it took her a couple of seconds to realize where she was. She looked down on the floor and saw her diary lying on it. _It must have slipped down when she was sleeping_. She reached down and carefully picked it up, straightening the wrinkled edges. She looked down at the last line.

_I will come back to you once I finish them. _

She smiled. She knew she was in no condition to stay awake for much longer; especially considering that Aaron would probably be up already in a couple of hours. So she took the pen and scribbled down the last words for that day:

_Wherever you are, I hope you´re safe. And warm. I love you. _

_p.s. And Jack…Merry Christmas. _

She was about to add something else when she heard the door bell. She looked down at the clock, confused. _12:01. Who could it be at this hour?_ She looked down at the page, not wanting to separate before saying a proper goodbye.

_I have to end it here – someone´s at the door. I´ll be back tomorrow__. _The bell rang again. _Love you._, she scribbled before laying the diary on the couch and heading towards the door. She approached them and went to check through the peephole; her heart freezing as she realized who the person in front was.

Slowly, she unlocked the door.

˝Jack?˝

_____

Please tell me what you think and - don't kill me for ending it the way I ended it :I Let´s just say that…I´m planning a surprise. I´ll give you a little hint: Jate, Xmas, and there´ll be even jex ;)

p.s. Disclaimer: the quotes aren't mine. ;)


	25. Chapter 25

Awwwwww.....you guys are too cute *smooch* Unfortunately, that really was the end of that chapter (that´s why I begged not to be killed *giggle*), BUUUUUT....as promised....

I started a new fic, called The Magic of Christmas, that´s basically...well, not a _direct_ continuation of the previous chapter, ´cause it starts _differently_; but pretty much what would have happened if I had written a sequel. It´s Jatey, fluffy, angsty, xmasy, but, most of all, I tried to keep it as realistic as possible. So, if you wanna know how the previous chapter would be continued if I had written a sequel....check The **Magic of Christmas** ;)

Happy New Year to all of you!


	26. Chapter 26

Now we´re switching on On-island Christmas one ;) This was written for Nadia (Truefate21) on LF and it´s set somewhere in S2.

_**Guilty Pleasures**_

˝Trying to sink your way off of the island? ˝she teased as she took off her shoes too and stepped on the sand.

He turned around and smiled. _He was ankles deep in the water, wearing blue jeans and the white shirt he had had on the day when they sat together on that same beach the first time – the day that would remain carved in her memory forever, for it was the day when he offered her a second chance – a possibility to start over_.

˝Yeah. ˝he said, stepping out of the water and heading towards her, his hands in his pockets. ˝You seemed pretty relaxed that day, so I decided to give it a try too. ˝he explained as he placed himself down on the log.

˝Oh, yeah? ˝she said, taking her time, enjoying the feeling of the soft sand beneath her bare feet. ˝So…did it work? ˝she asked, their shoulders brushing as she sat down next to him, thing not missed by either of them.

˝Surprisingly, it did. It really did. ˝he replied, surprised himself.

˝Told ya. ˝she said, tilting her head sideways and smiling at him, looking so beautiful he wanted to kiss her right there and then.

Instead, he just smiled back; both of them falling into a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

˝How come you´re not at the party? ˝she asked, looking sideways at him. ˝You´re missing quite a fun: Hurley made Sawyer into compete with him about who knows more Christmas songs, so now they're having sort of a karaoke, with Charlie following them on the guitar. ˝she said, giggling at the memory; and Jack broke into a grin too.

˝Wow, that must be fun. ˝he smiled; then turned serious again. ˝I was there till like…a half an hour or so ago, but I just had to get away for a while; you know – take a little time for myself. ˝he said, looking at her, and she nodded.

˝Yeah, I know. You miss your Mum? Dad? ˝she asked a couple of minutes later; looking sideways at him.

He looked up, for a moment bewildered at how well she seemed to know him. ˝Yeah. ˝he finally spoke, looking down and making circles in the sand with his right hand. ˝I mean, we've never been that close, with Dad always working and Mum busy with the parties and stuff; but at Christmas we would always gather together, spend time as family. ˝he said, his tone quiet, as if reviving the memory. ˝We would have this huge Christmas tree, and we would all gather around it, together with cousins and family; then open presents as my Dad followed on his piano. ˝

˝Wow, that seems like a lovely Christmas. ˝she said sincerely, looking at him. ˝Cousins and family, huh? I bet there were lots of presents too. ˝she added, to lighten up the atmosphere a bit; and he smiled.

˝Yeah, there were. ˝

˝Speaking about which… ˝she started, looking at him, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. ˝I got you something. ˝she said, reaching down.

He looked at her, surprised; then smiled. ˝What is it? ˝he asked, shifting to try to get a better look at whatever it was she was hiding behind the log.

˝Nah-ah. No peeking. ˝she said, slapping his hand away as he moved in closer. ˝You have to close your eyes first. ˝

He looked up at her, his forehead frowning.

She rolled her eyes. ˝You´ll like it, I swear. ˝she said, tilting her head sideways and biting on her lower lip, daring him to have a heart to turn her down.

He grinned and shook his head, as he recognized his own words from when he brought her guava seeds. ˝Touché. ˝he said, shaking his head; then finally giving in, closing his eyes.

˝Remember, no peeking. ˝she repeated as she reached down and picked up a small cup from the ground. ˝Ready? Don't open your eyes until I tell you to. ˝she warned as she brought the cup to his face; chuckling as she saw his nose scrunching as the familiar scent got to him.

˝_Coffee_? ˝he said, puzzled; forgetting himself as he opened his eyes to check if she was doing tricks on him. ˝Who…When…_How_? ˝was all he managed to pronounce as he stared at the cup in her hand.

She smiled. ˝You´re cute when you´re confused. ˝she said, tilting her head and biting down a grin. ˝Well, after that day you brought up the coffee when I showed you Sun´s garden, I figured out it wouldn't be a bad idea after all, so I made a couple of treks to see if I could find any and…I guess I got lucky. We planted it and finally got the beans, and I thought you should be the one to have the honor to taste it first, since it was your idea. ˝she explained as he still looked at her in amazement. ˝Merry Christmas. ˝she finally said and offered it to him.

He smiled and took it gratefully; then brought it top his nose. ˝You have no idea how good this feels. ˝he said, closing his eyes and enjoying the scent.

She smiled. ˝So I guess besides being a hardcore spinal surgeon, you´re a coffee freak too?˝ she teased.

˝That´s me. Hardcore and caffeine addict. ˝he replied, grinning. ˝Speaking about _freaks_… ˝he said, putting the cup down and reaching inside his pocket. ˝I have something for you too. ˝he finished, taking out a small bar and giving it to her.

˝A chocolate?! ˝she exclaimed, her eyes going wide; straightening up and almost spilling down his coffee.

˝Hey! A little respect here! ˝he joked, putting the cup at safe place then grinning back at her. He watched her eyes following every move of his hand, and he chuckled, finding her reaction adorable. ˝Jeez, if I knew I could get all of your attention just by a piece of chocolate…˝he joked; then handed her the bar. ˝Here. ˝he said, placing it on her palm. ˝

He watched her take the bar in her hands, turning it around in her fingers and looking at it as if it was a golden, not a chocolate one.

˝Where in the world did you find a chocolate on this island, Jack? I thought we had eaten them all the night of Hurley´s dinner. ˝she asked, completely bewildered.

˝Hey, a magician never reveals his secrets. ˝he joked; then, seeing she wasn't impressed, added. ˝I was thinking about what to get you for Christmas; and I remembered you are a chocolate freak, so I went to the only person I knew that might still have some of it stashed. ˝he said and she looked up, surprised.

˝_Sawyer_? ˝

He nodded. ˝Yup. ˝

˝Wow. ˝she uttered, puzzled. ˝You must _really_ like me. ˝she said before she had a chance to think it through. ˝I meant…˝she added quickly, blush spreading across her cheeks.

He grinned, shaking his head. ˝Just eat your bar, Kate. ˝

She smiled, grateful; then turned her attention towards the bar again. He watched unfolding the paper carefully, then throwing her head backwards and closing her eyes as she took the first bite. He smiled; then reached down for his cup of coffee.

˝You have no idea how good this is. ˝she said, munching on it slowly, wanting to preserve every minute. ˝Feels like heaven. ˝she added as she finally opened her eyes. ˝Want a bite? ˝she offered, and he shook his head.

˝No, thanks, just enjoy it. ˝he said politely, but she noticed his eyes still flickering to the bar.

˝Don't be silly, Jack, come on, just a bite. ˝she said as she brought it to his face.

˝Only if you try coffee. ˝he suggested, and she grinned.

˝Deal. ˝

He took the bite of the chocolate, not able to resist not closing his eyes too. _It really felt good_. He swallowed it slowly; then brought his cup to her lips, holding it for her as she took a sip; both of them too comfortable to feel awkward considering they practically fed each other as a couple would.

They looked at each other and smiled; both breaking into a grin as they returned their attention to the ocean in front.

He brought the cup to his lips and made a little gesture as if toasting, as she took another bite of the chocolate.

_˝Merry Christmas, Kate. ˝_

_˝Merry Christmas, Jack. ˝_

______

Tell me what you think ;)


	27. Chapter 27

Tnx for the reviews, guys! *hug* I know I haven´t updated in a while, but it´s the exams period again, so…I´m doing my best. Here´s a new chapter, but… **BE AWARE** – this one contains **LOTS OF SPOILERS FOR S5 EPPY 4**. So…if you don´t want to get spoiled, **DON´T READ**. Or leave it for after Wednesday, when you´ll know what happened anyways ;) Now, this is just my speculation based on the various spoilers we´ve got so far – but I´m curious to see if I guessed anything *giggle*

Hope you´ll like it and please R&R :)

___________

He turned his head sideways to look at her. _She looked really tired, had circles beneath her eyes and he could tell that she was struggling with staying awake_.

˝Kate…you need to rest. I can drive from here to Phoenix and then we´ll…˝he started, but she cut him off, brushing away his concern with her usual ˝No, I´m fine.˝ that convinced neither one of them. ˝You´re not fine. You´ve been through a lot in the past couple of days, you´re worried sick and, by the looks of it, you haven't slept for days. ˝he stated, trying to reason with her, but by her expression he knew it was all in vain. _She had that determinately stubborn look on her face that he both loved and hated at the same time._

˝Kate…˝he tried again, exasperatedly.

˝Jack, honestly, I´m fine. ˝she said, but she didn't sound convincing to herself either. She glanced back at the mirror. Aaron was sleeping peacefully in his chair, his head lolled to the side, eyes closed, hands crossed in his lap, oblivious to all the drama that was happening around him. She watched his little face and her expression softened. _She knew she was breaking her parole right now, but she didn't care: she couldn't risk losing him._ She fixed her eyes back on the road, desperately fighting with her mind that cared only about one thing: _sleep_. _She was so tired, both mentally and physically, and the prospect of sleeping sounded so good, but she couldn't risk. Not with Aaron in car. Sure, he seemed sober; he seemed like he had cleaned himself up, but she didn't know how long it lasted. Or how long it would last._ She looked at Aaron again. _No, she couldn't risk._

˝Kate…˝he said, putting his hand above hers, surprising her as the electricity hit them both. He decided to ignore it, ´cause they had more important things on their minds, so he just turned sideways and looked at her. ˝I know what this is about. ˝he said calmly, his eyes finding hers. ˝But it´s not like you think. ˝he said, and she flinched. He ignored it, and continued: ˝I´ve been sober for 2 weeks now. I know it doesn't _seem_ very long, but, trust me, it _feels_ like it. I´m cleaned up and I have every intention of staying so. And I know that I didn't deserve your trust, but I´m asking you to trust me on this. I _need_ you to. ˝

She watched him intently, trying to see if he was telling her the truth. He held her gaze. Finally, she nodded. ˝Okay. ˝

She turned on the lights and pulled over. Looking back to see if they were being followed, they quickly walked out of the car and switched seats. She put her belt on, checking the road behind them as he settled in, adjusting the seat and the mirrors. He put the keys in.

˝And, Kate...˝he said as he started the engine. She turned to look at him. ˝I know I´ve screwed up many things, but I want you to know one thing, ˝he said, his deep chocolate eyes digging in hers. ˝I would never, _ever_, drive drunk with you, _or_ Aaron, in car. I might...and I had, ˝he said quietly, remembering his suicide attempt, ˝endanger my life, but I would never risk your or Aaron´s. _Ever_. ˝

She watched him telling her that and she felt her heart melting. _No matter what, he still knew how she was feeling._ She looked back at him and gave him a shy smile. ˝Thank you. ˝she said quietly.

He nodded. ˝You´re welcome. Now…try to get some sleep, Aaron´ll need you fresh and rested tomorrow.˝

________________

He kept his eyes steadily on the road, occasionally glancing sideways at her sleeping form. He had been driving for 5 hours straight and he was slowly starting to feel the effects of the drowsiness too. He reached out and opened the window to a half, hoping the cold nocturne breeze would clear his mind. He looked at the empty road ahead again; then glanced at her. She was fast asleep; her head leaned against the seat, her cheeks flushed and her mouth slightly parted. Her hair was pulled up, but a small, disobedient lock was lose, falling down on her cheek and framing her angelic looking face. He smiled. With one hand on the wheel, he reached out with the other and gently tucked it behind her ear. She stirred. He froze. He waited for a couple of seconds, but she still seemed to be sleeping, and he let out a sigh of relief. _She needed sleep and although she had been trying her best not to let it be seen, he knew her well enough to know she was scared and beyond exhausted. He knew how much she loved the boy and how much the thought of losing him scared her._

Right as he tore his eyes away from her, he saw what he was looking for. _Destiny motel – next turning._ Checking the road behind, he slowly turned right, making a mental note to fill in the tank first thing in the morning, seeing as they were low on gas.

Once off the highway, the motel wasn't too far away, and soon he was driving in the parking lot, picking up the most secluded spot and finally turning off the engine. He unbuckled his seat belt and then reached out to her, placing his hand on her shoulder and shaking her gently. ˝Kate. ˝ _Nothing_. ˝Kate. ˝he repeated, this time a little bit more loudly, and she jumped up, instantly awake.

˝What happened?! ˝she asked in panic, her eyes going wide, and he regretted waking her up. He gave her shoulder a light squeeze as he turned towards her and spoke gently:

˝Sssh, relax, nothing happened. ˝he said calmingly, and saw her relaxing immediately. He thought about how her life must have been, before, on the run, and he found himself falling for her even more. _He had always admired her courage and to think of how she must have lived back then…_ He shook the thoughts away and focused on her again. ˝We´re at the parking lot. I was starting to get tired too; I saw the sign and thought we could spend the night here. Get some rest and then continue tomorrow. ˝

She looked at him, then at the dash board. _11pm. Jeez, he´s been driving for 5 hours straight. She was ashamed, ´cause she could tell he was tired too_. ˝Great. ˝she said, still groggy.

˝I´m gonna take our things and you take Aaron, okay? ˝he said, and she nodded; unfastening her seat belt and going out of the car.

He went for the boot and she opened the back door, unhooking the straps of Aaron´s chair and taking him out.

˝Mummy? ˝he mumbled quietly, looking around.

˝Sssssh, baby, we just arrived at the hotel. Go back to sleep. ˝she whispered, lifting him up and gently pushing his hair away from his face.

˝´kay. ˝he whispered, and the next second he was out. She took her purse and waited for Jack to grab their suitcases and lock the door; then they headed towards the motel together.

___________

˝Good evening! How can I help you? ˝a friendly receptionist asked, greeting them with a warm smile.

˝We need a play to stay overnight. ˝Jack said; then added quickly, as the lady gave them a curious look. ˝We, uhm…we´re running low on gas and we thought it would be better to stay in for a night then for our car to stop in the middle of nowhere. ˝he explained and smiled at the lady; who nodded sympathetically.

˝Yeah, the roads here aren't exactly the friendliest. ˝she agreed; then took a notebook and started going through it. ˝Well, I guess tonight is your lucky night, ´cause we have a few more rooms available. Would you like one room or separate ones? ˝she asked politely. The couple in front of her was obviously in love, but she had seen a lot by working here and her motto was better safe than sorry.

˝We…uhm…˝Jack started, both of them blushing; until Kate stepped forward and, forcing her voice to stay calm, said as sweetly as possible: ˝We´ll take just one, thank you. ˝; then pushed her face in Aaron´s neck to hide her flushness.

˝Okay. Names, please? ˝

˝Evangeline and…˝

˝Matthew. Matthew Bigsy. ˝Jack added, small flicker playing in his eyes. Kate looked at him and raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

˝Okay, Mr Bigsy. Your room is up the stairs and then down the hall left, number 504. ˝

˝Thank you. ˝Jack replied.

˝Enjoy your stay. ˝the lady said, giving them a soft smile.

˝Thank you, we will. ˝Kate thanked, and turned a bit sideways, so that the lady couldn't see Aaron´s face.

Jack lifted the suitcases, let Kate pass with Aaron; then followed behind them.

˝Matthew Bigsy? ˝Kate asked as they were climbing up the stairs.

˝Well, I´ve always wanted to be Matthew. ˝he said, chuckling. ˝And Bigsy was the name of my dog. ˝he said, shrugging his shoulders.

˝_Bigsy_? ˝she repeated, incredulous, and quite amused.

˝I was three, Kate. ˝he replied, rolling his eyes; as he opened the door and stepped back to let her in.

******

He returned back to the room, closing the door behind and making sure to lock them too. ˝Hey, the lady said the dinner was officially over, but she let us sneak some…˝he started, stopping as he heard a sound coming from the inside. ˝Kate? ˝he asked carefully, taking a couple of steps forward.

She was standing by the window next to the bed, her back turned to him. He could see her shoulder shaking and he knew she was crying.

˝Kate? ˝he repeated gently; and this time she turned around, her eyes full of tears. ˝Hey. ˝he said softly, coming to stand in front of her. ˝What´s wrong? ˝

˝I can´t lose him, Jack, I just can´t! ˝she said, finally breaking down, all the events of the past couple of days crushing down on her.

She sounded so desperate. He hated seeing her cry. He hated seeing her so scared, so sad, so broken, and not knowing how to help her. He took a step forward and put his hands on her arms. ˝Hey…˝he started, trying to make her look at him. ˝Everything´s gonna be alright. ˝he said softly. ˝No one is going to take him away from you. I won´t let them. ˝he said reassuringly, finally locking their gaze.

She looked at his eyes, those beautiful, chocolate eyes, and suddenly it all came back: _Three days ago, we all died. We should all be able to start over…It´s alright, it´s okay…Because I love you…Me too_. And in that moment, she finally realized. _Her Jack was back._ And without thinking, she leaned in: her hands finding their way on his neck as her lips crushed down on his, swallowing them in a deep, passionate kiss. He realized what was coming the second before it actually happen, but this time, unlike that time in the jungle, he was ready. _Sure, he was surprised she was kissing him, after everything that had happened between them, this felt familiar. This was what they were good at. This was home._ Their lips crashed hard and slowly at the same time into each other, their tongues dueling, pouring all the love, the anger, the sadness and the longing in that one kiss that seemed to last forever. When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathless.

Their foreheads still touching, he saw a small tears sliding down her cheek…then another one.

˝Kate? ˝he asked carefully, not sure where they were standing. _Sure, she started the kiss, but maybe it was more of a spur of the moment kind of choice._

She slowly pulled away, her hands on his chest, and looked up at him.

˝You´re back. ˝she half laughed half cried, and he shook his head. _She knew to be so adorable sometimes_. He smiled, cupping her face in his hands and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

˝Yeah, I´m back. ˝he said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. ˝And this time, I´m going nowhere. ˝

_________


	28. Chapter 28

*sneaks in*

I know I haven´t posted anything in ages (combine college and little free time for typing them up, and you´ll get the reason), but I just got this idea bug that wouldn´t let me alone, so I had no other choice than to sit down and write it.

It´s set in the last eppy, with one small difference: the house didn´t get on fire by a burning van, but ´cause of some more…_normal_ cause ;) Oh and, it´s Kate´s house.

She studied his face. _His nose, his smile, his eyes, always so full of life, of curiosity, of…happiness_. She brushed her finger against his cheek, a tear sliding down her face as she stared at the photo in her hand. She still remembered that moment as if it was yesterday. _It was his first day of preschool, and she and Jack came to pick him up afterwards, taking him for an ice-cream as an award for being such a good big boy. She got emotional listening to him telling them all about his day, experiencing that ˝my-baby´s-growing-up˝ moment every parent goes through, and he wrapped his little arms around her neck, kissed her and told her, in his sweet little voice, that she didn´t have to be sad because he would always be her ˝wittle boy˝. She smiled and hugged him back; then proceeded to tickling him, both of them erupting in giggles as Jack captured the moment on camera…_

She brought the photo to her lips, gently kissing the boy´s face. ˝Goodnight, baby. Mummy loves you. ˝she whispered and took one last look at it; then put it under her pillow, lying back down and wrapping her arms around herself, letting the night take away the pain…

****

He was just dozing off after the tiring day at work when he heard the noise coming from the outside: screams, yells, the sound of people running… He quickly put on his pants and shirt, finishing the buttons in a hurry as he burst out of his house.

He was greeted with a sight of chaos: people running up and down, carrying water buckets; others just standing there, shocked, all faces staring in the same direction. He followed their gazes and felt a stab in his heart when he realized _whose_ house was on fire. He quickly snapped out of it, running towards the crowd, stopping whoever he ran into to ask them if they had seen Kate.

˝Kate? The girl who lives there? Have you seen her? Where´s Kate?! ˝

But everyone looked at him blankly, some shrugging their shoulders, the others running away to help with the extinguishing. He spotted Hurley and, as he headed towards him, he heard a guy saying that they should stop, that it was useless, that it would just burn down anyway.

˝Dude. ˝Hurley muttered, watching the house disappear in flames; then, hearing Jack calling his name, turned around.

˝Hurley, where´s Kate? ˝Jack asked, trying to catch his breath. ˝

˝Relax, man, she was just th… ˝he started, turning around and pointing towards his right. ˝…ere. ˝he finished, his hand suspended in mid air as he realized with dread that Kate wasn't where he was pointing at.

They both started to look around, trying to find her in the crowd; when a man running from direction of the house, muttering something and gesticulating animatedly, caught Jack´s attention; and he immediately hurried towards him. ˝Hey, what happened?!˝ he asked when he finally approached him.

˝Some crazy chick just went in there, that´s what happened! ˝he said, and Jack´s eyes went wide in shock. ˝I tried to stop her, but she wouldn´t…˝he continued, but Jack was already sprinting toward the house.

˝Hey, you can´t go in there, the house´s about to…˝ a man tried to stop him, but Jack shoved him off, bursting through the door…

… The heat almost knocked him out of breath. There was smoke everywhere, and big orange flames were creeping wherever he looked.

˝KATE! KATE! ˝he yelled, rushing through the rooms, ignoring the heat and the fact that his lungs felt like on fire themselves. ˝KATE, WHERE ARE YOU? KA…˝he shouted; and then stopped, noticing her silhouette standing in front of the door of her bedroom, staring at the room that was completely swallowed in flames. He sped towards her, taking her hand and tugging on her, trying to snap her out of the trance. ˝Come on! ˝

She twitched, only then becoming aware of his presence; but didn´t move. ˝No, I have to…˝

Jack looked around. The flames were closing around them. ˝Kate, we have to go, the ceiling´s about to…˝he started; and as if it had heard him, he suddenly heard a crack coming from above their heads. He barely had time to push them both out of the way when a big wooden board broke off, crashing down on the floor just inches away from where they were standing. He opened his mouth in shock, but put himself together quickly, knowing they didn´t have much time before the whole construction collapsed. ˝Come on, let´s go! ˝he said, getting up; then helping her do the same, holding her arm tightly as he rushed them towards the door…

….

They stumbled outside, both coughing hard, holding onto the tree for support as they tried to regain their breaths.

˝WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! ˝he yelled when he was finally sure he wouldn't pass out; anger boiling through his veins.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the next moment they were surrounded by the rest of the village, tapping them on the backs and wanting to know how they made it.

˝Kate! Jack! ˝they heard Hurley´s voice, and before they could even reply, they were both pulled into a giant hug that knocked them out of their breath once again. ˝Dude, I we saw that roof crashing, I thought you were like…dead. ˝he said, pulling away and letting them free. ˝You guys sure you´re okay? ˝he asked, seeing their blank faces as their stared at each other.

Kate was the first one to break the gaze, looking away before answering a breathy ˝_Yeah_.˝ to Hurley.

Jack shot her a look, but dropped it there, turning to Hurley and saying: Yeah. ˝

That seemed to be enough for both Hurley and the people standing around, and soon everyone started to go away, leaving them alone. He looked up at her, opening his mouth to say something, but closing it immediately when he saw her wince when trying to wipe her hands on her pants. His eyes traveled down at the same time as hers, and he winced too when he saw blood and peeled skin on her palm. ˝You hand is hurt. ˝he said quietly, stepping towards her and gently taking it in his hand to look at it. ˝Come on, I have to clean that up before it gets infected. ˝he said, turning around and heading towards his house.

She paused for a moment, took a deep breath; then followed in silence…

***

She was sitting on the couch and watched him opening the cupboards in search of everything he would need for dressing up the wound. Every time he would close the door of the cupboard it echoed loudly, making her wince, but she didn´t dare to say anything, not wanting to make the situation even worse. He came back a couple of minutes later, a bottle of disinfecting fluid in one hand and a couple of bandages in another. He placed them down on the table, without saying a word; then kneeled down in front of her.

˝So…wanna explain me what the hell just happened there? ˝he finally spoke, a dangerous tone in his voice.

˝Nothing. ˝she said blankly, knowing she was playing with the fire here, but not ready to talk about Aaron yet.

Jack shot her a livid look. ˝Don´t you...˝

˝It´s not of your bus...˝

˝YOU ALMOST GOT YOURSELF KILLED, SO DONT YOU TELL ME IT´S NOT MY BUSINESS! ˝he snapped; all the anger that he was withholding exploding at her words.

She jumped in her seat, but recovered quickly, taking a deep breath then saying through teeth: ˝I don't wanna talk about it, so if you wanna finish this, do it; if not, I'm leaving. ˝

Their eyes locked, angry meeting the stubborn; and for a few moments no one spoke anything, as they held each others gaze. Finally, Jack broke the contact, turning sideways and taking the bottle in his hand. She watched him as he opened the bottle; placed it down; then took the gauze. She could see he was furious, the vein on his forehead tickling dangerously: but she felt none of that anger as he took her hand in his, cradling it gently on his palm as his fingers examined the wounded flesh.

˝I´ll have to disinfect it, but it looks like you won´t need any stitches. ˝he finally said.

She nodded, not really knowing what else to say.

He spread her palm; then took the bottle from the table. ˝This might sting a bit. ˝he said; then poured the fluid over her wound, making her groan in pain as it came in contact with the open wound. He gave her a couple of moments to recover; then continued.

For the next couple of minutes, she watched him clean her wound; his fingers delicately tapping the gauze across her skin, trying to be as gentle as possible. Needing a distraction, she settled on listening to him breathing, noticing that he was starting to calm down.

He carefully placed a piece of cloth on her wound; then slowly wrapped a bandage around her hand; adding another one and making sure it was tight enough not to fall down. When he was done, he kept her hand in his and tenderly ran his finger across the bandage.

˝Why would you do it, Kate? ˝he asked sadly. ˝What could possibly be in there worth risking your life for? ˝

She looked up at him and met his gaze, his sad eyes digging into hers. She knew he was worried about her, and it was breaking her heart to watch him like that, to continue to hurt him; but she couldn't do it yet, couldn't talk about Aaron yet - it was too painful.

She pressed her lips together; then muttered through gritted teeth. ˝Am I good to go? ˝

Jack sighed and run his hand through his hair. ˝Yes, you can go. ˝

˝Thanks. ˝She got up, straightening her clothes; then headed toward the exit. She stopped at the door, turned around – he still had his back turned to her – and quietly whispered ˝I´m sorry. ˝, before closing the door behind…

***

She was sitting on the porch, hands in her lap, legs dangling from the floor, as she watched the sunset turning into the night. She was thinking about Aaron, about how she lost the last concrete evidence that all of it really happened; that she _was_ happy, that she _had_ a family, that she _had_ a child. She wondered if she would ever be able to get off of this island again; trying hard not to think about the possibility that the answer to that question was negative; ´cause it only reminded her of another, biggest fear, one multiplied hundreds times now that she had lost his photo: _the fear of forgetting his face someday. _

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of the door squeaking, and she knew it was him without even having to turn around.

˝Hey. ˝he said softly.

˝Hey. ˝she replied, managing a small smile.

He closed the door behind him and made a small step towards her. ˝How´s your hand? ˝

˝Better. ˝she replied. ˝Thanks to you.˝ she added, flashing him a small smile.

He smiled back; then placed himself down next to her.

They were both quiet for a few minutes, staring into the night and listening to the crickets chirping. _If she really focused, she could almost see vividly in front of her eyes all those nights they spent like this, back when they first crashed here; back when everything wasn´t so complicated and they were just two people getting to know each other.._

Jack looked sideways at her, her beautiful face illuminated by moonlight, looking almost the same as on the night of their first day on the island; the night he found out her name. _Already then he felt there was something special about her…and he wasn't wrong. _

He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. ˝Here. ˝he said, offering her what looked like a piece of paper

˝What is it? ˝she asked, confused.

˝The reason you risked your life today.˝ he said softly; and her eyes met his.

She took the paper from him and turned it around, the smiley faces of Aaron and her greeting her. She felt a lump forming in her throat as the pain returned in full force.

˝How did you…? ˝she started, studying the photo. _The fire swallowed her whole bedroom, there was no way the photo could come out of it intact._

He looked up confused at first; then finally realized what she was asking. ˝Oh no, it´s not that one. It´s mine. ˝

She looked at him, her brow frowning in confusion.

He took a deep breath; then opened his mouth. ˝A couple of days before we came back, Ben told me to go back to my place and pack everything I cared for in there because I was never coming back. And when I looked around, I realized it was the only thing I cared for. The only thing I wanted to take with me. ˝he said; pausing; then added: ˝Memories. ˝

She looked at him sadly, a tear sliding down her cheek. None of them spoke for a few minutes.

He watched her eyes flicker in the night and in that moment he wanted nothing more than to be able to take the pain away from her face, to make her happy again.

˝Listen, Kate… I know I promised not to ask anything… and I´ll respect your wish..˝he added quickly, seeing a panicked expression in her eyes, ˝but, if you ever need to talk, I´ll be here. ˝he said, and she smiled through tears.

He gave her a small smile; then got up. ˝I better go now. I, uhm…I made you a bed. Put on new sheets and stuff. I couldn´t find a spare pillow, so I left you mine. ˝

She nodded and smiled.

˝If you need me, I´ll be on the couch. ˝

˝´kay. ˝she said. ˝And Jack? ˝she called, and he turned around. ˝Thank you…for everything. ˝she whispered quietly.

He nodded. ˝Night, Kate. ˝

She watched him close the door behind; then looked down at the photo again. ˝Night, Jack. ˝

______

Hope you liked it :)


	29. Chapter 29

I know I haven´t written anything in a while, but I´ve been extremely busy with college, and I´ve also been on a trip, so I really didn´t have any free time for writing. Hopefully, that will change soon.

Anyway, this is just a little fluffy something written for a Jater on LF as a b-day present. Hope you enjoy ;)

**Birthday Surprises**

_Slam!_

He awoke with a start, barely managing to get a glimpse of ruffled blonde hair and Spiderman pajamas before something crashed down on him, tiny arms wrapping themselves around his neck while the rest of the body excitedly jumped up and down his chest, apparently mistaking him for a bouncing ball.

˝Jack, wake up, wake up, it´s your b….˝the boy chanted, bouncing up and landing down on Jack´s stomach, causing him to groan in pain.

˝Whoa, whoa, bud, slow down, slow down.˝ Jack said, taking hold of Aaron´s arms and somehow managing to calm him down, although the boy was still fidgeting in a rush of energy kick he got God knows where. ˝Jeez, what does your mum feed you with? Coffee? ˝he asked, half jokingly half sarcastically, causing Aaron to giggle.

˝I don´t dfink coffee, Jack. ˝

˝You sure? ´Cause…I think I can feel little coffee beans….here. No, here. ˝Jack said, taking hold of boy´s sides and starting to tickle him.

Aaron shrieked with laughter, tossing his head from side to side. ˝´top it, Jack! ´top it! ˝he repeated in between breaths, the rooms echoing with child´s giggles. ˝You´fe stopping me flom telling you somefing impolatant. ˝

Jack smiled, tickling him one last time then setting him down again. ˝I am, huh? Okay, then…shoot.˝

Aaron leaned down, till his nose was almost level with Jack´s and then, cupping Jack´s face in his hands, whispered cutely: ˝Happy bufday.˝

Jack felt his heart melt. Totally touched by the boy´s simple, yet moving words, he rubbed his nose against the little one, and then, kissing him on the forehead, said: Thank you, buddy.

They stood like that for a couple of minutes; then Aaron started to get bouncy again. ˝Come on, Jack, you gotta open my pwesent! ˝he said impatiently, pulling on Jack´s hand.

˝I do, huh? ˝Jack asked, amused.

˝Yep. And then mummy can give you hefs. ˝he suddenly stopped; then leaned down closer to Jack´s ear. ˝But I wouldn´t get too excited for hefs.˝he whispered. ˝You see…Mummy doesn´t dwaw vely well. ˝

Jack´s brow frowned in confusion. _Kate made him a __**drawing**__?_

˝Well, you definitely peeked my interest, bud. Come on, let´s see what Mummy came up with this time. ˝he said, lifting the boy up and dragging out of the bed…

*********

˝Seems like _someone_´s finally up. ˝Kate teased, smiling, as she saw Jack entering the kitchen, Aaron on his shoulders.

˝Oh, come on, like I don´t know you sent him in there to wake me up. ˝Jack smiled back, leaning down and giving her a light peck on the lips. ˝Morning. ˝

She put her hand on his neck and pulled him in for a real kiss, gently nibbling on his lower lip before pulling away. ˝Happy birthday. And…˝, she started, putting down a plate. ˝I wouldn´t have had to send him in if _someone_ hadn´t decided to sleep in his whole birthday. ˝she said teasingly.

Jack smiled, reached up for Aaron, put him down in his chair; then, when he was sure that the boy´s attention was completely focused on the bowl of cereals and an action figure in his hand, he came behind Kate, wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered huskily in her ear. ˝Well, I wouldn´t have had to sleep in if _someone_ hadn´t kept me awake all night. ˝he said; then, satisfied with seeing pink coloring her cheeks, joined Aaron at the table. ˝Okay, buddy…you were saying something about some presents…˝

Aaron slid off of his chair, run to his room, and was back sprinting before Jack even had a chance to turn around. ˝Hele. That´s flom me.˝he said breathlessly, handing him a piece of paper, wrapped up in a bright colorful paper. Jack started to open it and Aaron climbed up his chair again, waiting impatiently.

Jack ripped off the wrapping paper and opened his present, looking down at a drawing in his hands. Half the paper was occupied by a big blue quadrangle that Jack guessed was supposed to represent a present box, and right next to it was something he could only describe as brown and furry.

˝Well, do you like it? ˝the boy asked excitedly.

˝Yes, of course! ˝Jack said. ˝The present is really big and the…uhm…the…˝he mumbled, struggling with words as he tried to figure out what the heck the brown thing should represent.

Kate had to bit back a chuckle, watching him struggling with the object in the picture. He looked so cute. ˝Aaron, why don´t you tell Jack the name you picked for your _dog_? ˝she said, stepping in to help.

Jack looked at her gratefully, blowing her a kiss; then turned back to Aaron, who was already babbling excitedly about their dog. _THEIR dog. Their do_… As his brain cells connected all the dots, he stopped Aaron: ˝Wait…you said, OUR dog? ˝

˝Yep. Bobo can´t wait to play with you!˝ he said excitedly.

˝And that… _Bobo_… is he here now?˝ Jack asked carefully, thinking it was Aaron´s imaginary dog friend or something.

˝No, silly.˝ Aaron giggled. ˝Bobo´s still in store, waiting for you to buy it. ˝he explained matter-of-factly.

˝Yeah, didn´t you know – Aaron´s drawing was just a part of his present – he figured out you should buy the rest, since you, I quote: ˝Make mof money than he does.˝ Kate said, giggling.

Jack looked at her, incredulously. ˝So…if I got this right, we´re buying a dog…as my birthday present? ˝

Aaron nodded vigorously.

˝If it´s okay with you, of course. ˝Kate added.

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. ˝Alright then. ˝

˝Yeeeeey! ˝Aaron screamed excitedly, leaping off of his chair and landing on Jack. Jack laughed, returning the hug and kissing him on the cheek.

˝Wow…seems like someone´s a tad bit too excited. ˝he teased. ˝So…when are we going to get Bobo? ˝

˝Uhm…how about…_NOW_? ˝Aaron said, looking at him with those heartbreaking bright blue eyes he knew Jack couldn´t resist.

Jack smiled and looked at Kate, who raised her eyebrows, smiling; then turned back towards Aaron. ˝Okay, then.˝

Aaron screamed once again; then started sliding down his chair.

˝Uhm, Aaron…didn´t you forget something? ˝Kate asked, looking at him importantly.

˝Oh, yeah. ˝the boy said. ˝Hefe´s Mummy´s dwawing. ˝he said, handing Jack a white envelope; then sprinting off to his room, not really impressed with his Mum´s ˝drawing˝ skills.

Jack looked at Kate, confused; then back at the envelope. He opened it and pulled out what seemed to be a picture. _No, a photo. Black and white photo. The photo of a…_

Kate giggled as she watched him staring at the photo. She could almost see the wheels in his head twirling, connecting all the bits together.

˝Is this…˝he finally managed to squeak; and Kate chuckled.

˝Read the note. ˝

Jack looked at the photo again. Right below the picture, it was written in neat, black handwriting: _Happy b-day, Daddy! Love, baby._

She approached him, wrapped her arms around him from behind, kissed him sweetly in the neck, and whispered: ˝Happy birthday, babe. ˝

_____

_The End…_

Hope you liked it :o

p.s. Oh and…if it wasn´t clear enough, considering I wrote this past midnight, it was an ultrasound photo ;)


	30. Chapter 30

**Together…till the end**

He curses as he lunches forward, a bullet missing him for an inch. He crunches down, panting heavily, screams and gun shots ripping the air around him, as he hurries to load the rifle. Then, suddenly, the gunfire stops, and he hears a familiar voice...

˝All right, you can come out now, Doc! ˝

He picks up the backpack and slowly stands up, looking around his surroundings. He can see Kate coming out of the van, and he exhales, relieved. _She was fine_. Juliet is standing next to her, both of the women aiming their guns at the members of the Dharma initiative; while Sawyer is gripping tightly the man he´s almost sure is named Phil.

˝Hurry up and do your business.˝ he tells him, and he can still feel the bitterness (_or is it sadness_?) in the man´s voice, although he´s apparently helping him now.

He gives him a little nod, then, tightening his grip on the backpack, sets out towards the well. His thoughts are fixed on one goal and one goal only and he´s barely aware of the ever so growing sound of the drill, that doesn't sound as normal as before. In the back of his mind, he can distantly hear Sawyer and the Korean man arguing, and then he´s finally there, leaning above and grasping the well´s cold edges. The sounds of clashing and drilling are becoming louder and louder, and finally he´s aware of them too, realizing that they don´t have much time left.

Sprinting into action, he takes off his backpack and carefully pulls the bomb out, amazed once again how something so small could be so destructive. Shrugging the thought away, he leans forward to do it: to do the final act, to fulfill his destiny. The bomb is in his hands, hanging proudly above the darkness beneath, just seconds dividing him from throwing it down. _All it takes is to let go of it_…but he can´t. Something´s stopping him. That little voice in the back of his mind. The voice of his old self.

_(__This is insane!__ )_

_I have to do it._

_(No, you don´t.)_

_Yes, I do! It´s what I´m supposed to do, it´s my dest…_

(_Destiny?! Do you even hear yourself? The Jack I know would never…_)

_Yeah, well, maybe I´m not that man anymore!_

_(Yeah, maybe you´re not. But…are you prepared to the consequences of it?)_

_Cons…_

_(Watching your friends…Hurley, Sawyer, Jin, Juliet…all those people around … her…Can you deal with seeing her dead…her body, that soft, warm body you were waking up to all those months…lying on the ground, bloody…immobile?)_

Jack sucks in a deep breath. He remembers her words, can even hear them as if she was saying them now: ˝_And what are you trying to do, Jack?˝_

_No, no…that can´t… SHE WON´T DIE!!!_

(_Yeah, maybe she won´t. But, even if your plan works, if by some miracle you all manage to survive, then what? She´ll be in cuffs, facing prison, possibly life sentence and you… you´ll move on with your pity and empty life.)_

_It doesn´t have to be that way! We could…_

_(Could what? World´s famous spinal surgeon…and cold blooded murderer…yeah, I see relationships like that all the time.)_

And then he has no replies anymore, no strength to keep fighting. He can hear the noise getting louder and louder, can hear Sawyer shouting at him to hurry up (˝_What are you waiting for?! Drop it! ˝_), but he can´t, the fear paralyzing him. _He had been trying so hard to believe in this, to fight back all of his past instincts and embrace being the Man of Faith, but now he´s not so sure anymore. What if that voice is right? What if he ends up killing them all? Killing HER?_

And he knows that he doesn't have it in himself anymore, not alone, so he does the only thing that feels right: he raises his head, and, amongst all the noise, all the turmoil, all the voices and faces, his eyes instinctively lock on the green ones…

********

And as he catches her gaze, she can see it in his eyes. _Doubt. Insecurity. Plea. _

˝_Do you still have my back?_ ˝, he tries to ask her with his look.

A small sob escapes her lips, as she tries to fight back a smile. ´Cause in that moment, in those couple of seconds of his hesitation, she finally realized. Realized that he _still_ cares. That he _still_ loves her.

He can see tears welling in her eyes, and for a moment, he thinks she will say no.

The realization that he still loves her being all she needed, she straightens up a bit, her eyes piercing his, as if wanting to assure him with the look only that she is _still_ there for him, that she _still_ has his back; and nods slowly.

And as he watches her nod, he feels his heart swelling with love. _She´s still with him. She still has his back._

They hold each other´s gaze for a moment more, carving each other´s faces into their memory, willing the reality to even dare to erase it all, to erase _them_. And then she closes her eyes, squeezing them tightly; and he, with one last look at her, turns towards the well, opening his palms and feeling the weight disappear from his hands.

He closes his eyes too and, carrying the image of her face with him, starts quietly inside of himself. A couple of meters above, knowing he´s doing the same, she silently joins:

_**One.**_

_(˝You´re not running now.˝)_

**_Two._**

_(˝I've got your back.˝)_

**_Three._**

_(˝Because I love you.˝)_

**_Four._**

_(˝I have always been with you.˝)_

**_Five._**

***

The End.

__________

p.s. In case that the italic parts were a bit confusing, in the first set, the lines in italic represent a conversation between the old Jack (The Man of Science - lines in brackets) and the new Jack (The Man of Faith - without brackets); while in the other, the counting to 5 is thought by both Jack and Kate, and the lines in brackets represent each of them remembering some of their most important moments - Kate of Jack´s lines; Jack of Kate´s lines.

Please tell me what you think – it´s been a while since I wrote anything :o


	31. Chapter 31

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! *glomp* I´m sorry I haven´t been updating regularly lately: May´s been a really bad month for me in real life, and then for the past 1,5 month I´ve had exams, so I really didn´t have time or inspiration for writing. Luckily, my exams period finishes this weekend, and then I´ll be back to more regular updates ;) Anyway, enough of chatting… This was written for my dear friend on LF. It´s set in _The Moth_, and is basically a dyojs about that eppy – based on the episode itself and its original script.

_**The Moth**_

She stood there for a moment, watching him looking wistfully at the mug shot he was holding in his hands. _Her_ mug shot. He seemed so immersed in his thoughts that he hadn´t even noticed her come and she wondered if she should just turn around and walk away, quietly, before he detected her. But, she hadn´t seen him since he had left for the caves, and even thought they had been apart for only a night (for he had returned on the beach as soon as the sun set), she missed him, as strange as that was, considering they´d known each other for barely a week. Deciding not to dwell on the reasons why being away from him was affecting her that much; she took a deep breath and spoke up:

˝I take better pictures than that. ˝she said; and she could tell she had startled him.

He folded the paper quickly and spun around, standing up to face her. She smiley, unsurely, happy to see him despite the situation. Not knowing how to turn around that slightly awkward but not uncomfortable moment, she decided to make light of it, and added: ˝Smaller, too, if you want something for your wallet. ˝

It worked. He let out a small chuckle, and she smiled too. There was just something about him…

He looked at her nervously. ˝I just came by for a few things and this was... this was with my stuff. ˝he explained, blushing a bit for being caught in looking at her picture. After a brief pause, he handed it to her, and she took it, folding it, memories flooding her mind. But soon something else caught her attention.

˝So you're not staying? ˝she asked, watching him pack up his things, and feeling her heart sink a little.

˝Call me a broken record, but caves are a natural shelter. ˝he said, his back turned to her. ˝And a hell of a lot safer than living here on the beach. ˝he added, zipping up his backpack.

She paused for a moment; then, sadly: ˝You're mad at me. ˝_It was a statement, not a question._

He stopped in his tracks; then turned around, slowly, to face her. ˝No. Kate... I'm... ˝he shook his head, trying to find the words to explain. ˝I just don't understand why you won't come with me. ˝he blurted out before thinking; then, realizing what he had just said, corrected himself: ˝_Us_. ˝He turned him head north, pointing. ˝It's maybe a mile up there, if that. ˝

She shook her head, stubbornly. ˝We crashed 8 days ago, Jack. I'm not setting up house here. ˝

˝I want off this island too, but we both know that's not going to happen any time soon. ˝he interrupted her, getting slightly annoyed.

˝Sayid has a plan. ˝she reminded him, but he shrugged it off too.

˝Yeah, to find the source of the distress code, I know. ˝he recited, impatiently.

˝The signal's coming from somewhere on the island. If we can find it... ˝she tried, and he cut her off once again, almost frustrated now. _Why did she have to be so damn stubborn?_

˝The signal has been running on a loop for 16 years, Kate. And the woman that left it, she wasn't rescued. What makes you think it's going to be any different for us? ˝

Hey eyes were staring directly at him, and, without a beat, she said: ˝I believe it. ˝

He sighed, knowing that the argument was lost. Not wanting to argue with her anymore, he said, sadly. ˝I wish I shared your faith. ˝

* * * * *

˝You don´t know me. I´m a bloody rock god! ˝

He watched the British man shouting; and the next moment he heard a sound he never wanted to hear again; and even before the walls around him started to collapse, he knew that something terrible was about to happen…

* * * * *

Sayid opened his mouth to reply, but shut it the next second as he saw her coming to a half all of a sudden, looking frightened, nearly spooked. He looked at her. ˝Kate, you okay? What is it? ˝he asked, worried, looking around to find the source of her distress.

She said nothing for a while, trying to shrug off the feeling. ˝I don´t know. ˝she finally admitted. ˝Felt like a goose just walked over my grave. ˝Sayid raised an eyebrow, and she explained, smiling at the memory. ˝Something my dad used to say. ˝she said. ˝When he got the feeling something bad had just happened. ˝she stopped; then, after a moment, added, still worried: ˝You ever get that? ˝

Sayid looked at her and smiled. ˝Only about every 30 seconds. ˝

She smiled politely back too; then followed after him, but, as much as she tried to think of something else, she just couldn´t escape the feeling that something was terribly wrong…

* * * * *

She watched him with a disgusted look on her face, eyes narrowed, lips pressed tightly together, as his words registered in her mind. _So what is it about that guy... Jack? What is it about him makes you all... weak in the loins?_

˝Do you try to be a pig, or does it just come naturally? ˝she shot back, apparently not amused.

˝It´s that he´s a doctor, right? Yeah, the ladies dig the doctors. ˝he continued, with his usual smirk on his face, and she couldn´t help but smile. ˝Hell, give me a couple of band aids, a bottle of peroxide and I could run this island too. ˝

She looked up at him, incredulous. ˝You´re actually comparing yourself to Jack? ˝

He paused, and she could swear she had seen a tingle of pain shot his face, but before she had a chance to say anything more, he replied: ˝The difference between us ain´t that big, sweetheart. I guarantee you; if he had survived a few more weeks on this island you'd have figured that out.

She froze. ˝_What_ did you just say? ˝

He looked at her, realizing that he was busted. ˝Ah, damn. Didn´t I tell you? Word from the valley is Saint Jack got himself buried in a cave-in. ˝he said, pausing to see her reaction.

Kate felt her heart stop. ˝What?! ˝

He paused for a moment, considering dropping down the mask, but in the end he still added:

˝Look at the bright side, now you have someone else to pity. ˝

She stared at him for a couple of seconds, dumbstruck, her eyes burning fire; then suddenly, throwing the bottle rocket at him, hardly, turned around and started running; running as if her life depended on it…towards him.

* * * * *

Branches scratched her arms and shoulders, leaves hit her face, and sticky drops of sweat were gliding down her neck and onto her shirt; but she didn´t care, her mind repeating just one thought over and over again, as on a loop: _Please don´t let it be true…please don´t let it be true… Please don´t… _Daring her legs to go faster, she forcefully pushed the leaves away and finally broke into the valley…

˝Where is he?! Where is he? ˝she repeated, louder this time, watching at blank faces of Michael, Hurley and Sun, staring at her as if not knowing what to say.

˝Kate… ˝Michael started, but she cut him of, not wanting to listen.

˝Where is he? Where is Jack? ˝she repeated; fear evident on her panicked, sweating face.

Nobody seemed to know what to tell her for a while; then Hurley finally managed to gulp, looking to a bunch of rocks blocking what used to be an entrance into the cave. ˝He´s in there. ˝

She followed his gaze and swallowed down a cry; her mind immediately switching into action. ˝Does anyone know if he's alive? ˝No one replied. ˝Is he ALIVE?! ˝she shouted this time; and it seemed to shake them from the stupor they were in.

˝We don´t know. ˝Again, it was Michael to speak. ˝Charlie went in there through a tunnel that we dug, but it… collapsed. ˝

She looked at him for a moment; then asked the most obvious question there was. ˝So why isn´t anyone digging? ˝

Silence again.

Michael took a step forward, looking at her compassionately. ˝There´s nothing left to dig to. ˝

She looked at him, incredulous; then at the others, breathlessly, desperately. They all had the same expression. _No, I´m not giving up on him!,_ she thought; and with that thought, she moved to the barrier wall and went down on all fours, clearing away an impossibly large rock.

˝Kate… ˝Michael tried again, but she didn´t bother, keeping on with the digging.

The Losties looked at each other and then, without a word, took a step forward; some joining her near the cave entrance, some hauling the heavy rocks away, the others passing fresh water to the ones who were digging. _All of them knew deep down that it probably wouldn´t make a difference, but they kept doing it, minute by minute… for her, for Kate. ´Cause they knew how much the doctor meant to her._

* * * * *

She felt another drop of sweat trickle down her face, and she wiped it off, without a beat, pushing her hair out of her eyes; then went back to digging. Her hands ached, her breathing was hard and she couldn´t remember the last time she was this tired, but she didn´t complain, she needed this, needed something to occupy herself with, because otherwise… She stopped digging for a second, catching her breath; and she felt someone's hand on her arm.

˝Kate… ˝Michael tried carefully. ˝You need to take a break. ˝

˝I´m… I´m fine. ˝she managed to choke out, breathless.

˝We've got enough people to dig. You keep going at this pace and you're going to kill yourself. ˝he tried to reason with her, but he knew in advance it was a lost battle.

She turned towards the entrance again, without even looking at him; and went back to what she was doing. _Every vibrant of her being yearned for rest, but she knew she couldn´t stop…she knew she had to keep on digging, ´cause stopping would mean giving up, and giving up on him was something she couldn´t do, not yet. Not while there was still even the slightest hope that he was okay, that he was alive_. So she kept on…

* * * * *

˝Hey! It´s the doctor! ˝

Somewhere through her frenzy trance, she heard the words; five little words that meant the world to her in that moment. She turned around, surprise mixed with relief evident on her face as she watched him walking towards them, with Charlie nearby. He was muddy, his face black with dust, and he seemed to cringe as bit as he walked; but other than that, he seemed perfectly fine.

She heard Hurley following after her, but she barely noticed, already running towards him. If she had time to think about it, she would have probably never done it; but this time her brain didn´t do the thinking – her heart did; and she launched herself towards him; her arms wrapping around his neck, hugging him tightly, almost as if she never wanted to let him out of her arms again; her eyes closed, breathing him in.

˝Oh…Ow…easy… ˝he managed to choke out, chuckling slightly at her reaction. ˝My shoulder…careful. ˝he explained; and she slowly pulled away, dazed, and, for a moment, their eyes met, their eyes saying much more than their mouth could. But the moment was soon interrupted, as other people joined in, and for a couple of minutes, it seemed that everyone wanted to touch the doctor and the rock star, some hugging them, some tapping them on their shoulders, some just squeezing their hands. But, throughout all of that, all the crowd, her eyes were only for him, and his for her, and as they were looking at each other, they both knew that, in that moment, silence spoke much, much more than words. ..

* * * * *

He was sitting by the fire, transfixed, watching the orange flames dance; thinking about his life and about what had happened that day. And, even thought he tried his best not to admit it, even to himself, about the intensity with which she flung herself at him, and the look on her face as their eyes locked the moment after. He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn´t even hear her coming, his lips breaking into an amused smile as he felt her drape something around his neck.

˝Made you something. ˝she said sweetly.

He looked down; watching as she carefully took his injured arm in her hands and gently eased it into the white piece of cloth.

˝Awww…my very first sling. ˝he commented, genuinely touched by her taking care of him.

She smiled, setting his arm down; then asked, shyly: ˝How´s that? ˝

Their eyes met, and they shared a sweet smile.

He shook his head, amused for some reason, and smiled. ˝Good. ˝ _Pause_. ˝Thank you. ˝

She smiled too, placing herself next to him. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke, trying to keep her voice light, teasing even, but both of them knowing the truth. ˝So these are the safe caves you've been going on about. ˝

He looked at her, not saying anything for a moment; then replied, stubbornly: ˝This was a fluke. Michael checked out the integrity of the rest of the caves and gave them an okay. ˝

She raised her head, and her eyes found his. ˝You could´ve died today, Jack. ˝she said, quietly. _It was a statement, not a question._

He returned the look, staring into her emerald eyes for a moment, before finally replying: ˝But I didn´t.˝

She held his gaze for a few seconds; then looked away, shaking her head slightly. _Another lost battle._ None of them said anything for a while, gazing in front at the flames that were rising and rising.

This time it was Jack to break the silence. ˝So you're heading back to the beach, huh? ˝

˝Sayid should be back there by now and if his plan worked then... ˝

˝…then we're one step closer to getting off this island. ˝he finished for her and their eyes met again, both of them thinking about what the rescue would mean. Neither would admit it yet, but in the past seven days they had formed a bond whose strength sometimes frightened even them.

He looked sideways at her and then smiled slightly, deciding to enjoy the moment while it was still there. ˝Thanks for the sling Kate. ˝

She looked up at him, and returned the smile. ˝You're welcome. ˝

They held each other´s gaze for a moment; then went back to staring at the fire in front of them. The future was unpredictable, and the rescue might come the day or the months after. But right now, in this moment, they were together. _And that was all that mattered._

* * * * *

p.s. For anyone who doesn´t know – some of the scripts – and by _scripts_, I don´t mean _transcripts_, but TPTB´s original script for the show – from S1 have leaked out on the net some 3-4 years ago – including the _Pilot_ ones, _Tabula Rasa_, _Walkabout_, _HOTRS_, _The Moth_, etc – just type it in Google and read it – trust me, they´re gonna make your faith that Jate is the endgame even stronger :D


	32. Chapter 32

Author´s note: This is written for one of the most talented (and freakishly psychic :p) Jaters around here – _**Cinzia**_. I know your birthday was yesterday, but I found out too late and was out of house for most of the day, so I didn´t have time to type it up till now. I know you already got the best present possible the day before your b-day (*wink*), but here is just a little something from me – as a thank you for all those incredibly amazing vids and your little psychic powers *giggle*

Happy birthday! *hug*

**La Citt****à Eterna: 5 Storie Romane**

_**One.**_

˝You do know that it´s just for ˝going back˝ wishes, right? ˝Kate asked in an amused voice, laughing as she remembered Jack standing in front of Trevi Fountain, the look of exaggerated concentration on his face as he made his wish and threw the coins in the fountain.

They were strolling down Foro Romano, once the political and religious centre of the ancient Rome, now a wide promenade full of ruins of temples, arches and basilicas and generally the place where you can get a glance at how the old city felt like.

˝Well, it didn´t stop me from wishing a ´regular´ wish too. ˝he said, smiling.

Kate giggled too, blushing slightly. ˝Yeah, I admit I wished for something else too. ˝

Jack brought his lips next to her ear; checked that no one was around to hear; then whispered: ˝Does it include you, naked, in my arms tonight? ˝he said, enjoying the way her cheeks immediately flushed; then added quickly: ˝No? Then we didn't make the same one. ˝

˝Jack! ˝Kate said, acting shocked and slapping him playfully on the chest.

He leaned in and stole a quick kiss; before pulling away, looking at her with an innocent look on his face. ˝What? It´s not like you won´t enjoy it too. ˝he said, grinning cockily at the sight of her blushing.

Kate rolled her eyes. ´_Fine. Two could play the same game_. ´, she thought, suddenly coming to a halt, turning around towards him and sneaking her arms around his waist as she climbed on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his, kissing him: sweetly and slowly at first, then deepening it, her tongue tracing the corners of his mouth, dancing in synch with his, making him dizzy and then suddenly pulling away, grinning, amused by the look of confused disappointment on his face for the abrupt lack of contact.

˝And _that_ is so you can have something to think of until we try to make your wish come true tonight. ˝she said, grinning wickedly and then turning around, leaving him standing there dumbfounded.

*****

_**Two.**_

They were sitting on the Spanish steps, munching on a pair of guavas they bought at the local market and watching the people pass by. The sun was shining mercilessly and they were both grateful for this short break, having spent the biggest part of the day sightseeing.

˝You know, I still think you should have been handless by now. ˝she said in falsely bitter tone.

Jack laughed, remembering the conversation they had had previously that day.

........................................

_Holding her hand in his, he had led her onto the portico of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin and to a large circular stone mask._

_˝It´s called Bocca della Verit__à. __Mouth of truth. ˝he said, pointing to the image showing a man-like face. ˝The legend says that, if one whose truthfulness was doubted would place his hand inside its mouth, it would bite it off, if he was guilty or lying. ˝he recited._

_Kate watched the stone, suddenly getting an idea. ˝Well, why don´t we check that theory. ˝she said, taking hold of his hand and putting it in the mask´s mouth._

_Jack chuckled. ˝What do you want to know? ˝_

_Holding his hand firmly to ensure he wouldn't pull it out, she looked up at him, grinning sweetly, and asked: ˝The sixth day on the island, when I was tying my shoes…were you checking me out? ˝_

.........................................

˝Wow, that one is seriously eating you out, isn´t it? ˝he asked, amused.

˝I just want to know. ˝she replied, pouting.

Jack shook his head, chuckling. He reached forward, wrapping his arms around her from behind, and pulled her back into his chest, pressing his lips on the soft spot where her neck meets her shoulders; then replied, gently sucking on the exposed flesh. ˝Alright then…_yes_, I _was_ checking you out that day. And _yes_, I _was_ flirting with you during that golf game. And, if that wasn´t enough… ˝he said, his voice bordering on hoarse now as he gently nibbled on her earlobe. ˝_Yes_, it took me all the willpower I ever had to resist pushing you on that table and having my way with you when you licked that spoon. ˝he finished, proud of himself as he felt her heart beat faster. ˝Now, if you don´t mind, let´s go find someplace to eat so we can go back to our room early where I can show you exactly _what_ I wanted to do with you. ˝

*****

_**Three.**_

˝God, it´s so beautiful! ˝Kate sighed in awe, watching the glorious facade of Castello Sant´ Angelo rising in front of them. It was around 7 pm and the sun was slowly going down to its sleep, casting beautiful shades of gold and pink that reflected upon the surface of the building and the nearby river.

Jack said nothing, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. _It was the last day of their honeymoon and, as much as he missed Aaron and the home they´d created together, the past two weeks had been some of the best in his life, and he was reluctant to let them go._

He looked up at the Castel in front; then down at their hands – her soft and small one fitting perfectly into his large one, her fingers intertwined with his – and decided he wanted to preserve that moment forever.

˝Jack, what are you doing? ˝Kate asked as he suddenly stopped them both.

He smiled, leaning in to press a soft kiss on her cheek before returning to his previous task, turning around and looking until his eyes finally fell on a couple of young people - friends obviously - chatting on the opposite side of the bridge. ˝I wanna have something to remember this exact moment once we´re old and grey. ˝he said, chuckling; then pointed to the group. ˝So I´m gonna ask that bunch over there to take a picture of us. ˝

He led her towards the group and tapped the closest girl on the back. ˝Excuse me… ˝he said, and the girl turned around, looking up from his chest to his face; suddenly turning white and leaning back on the bridge as a support as she realized who was standing in front of her.

˝Y-yeah? ˝she finally managed to squeak, her brain caught between disbelief that Jack _Shephard_ and Kate _Austen_ (well, _Shephard_ now, since she´d seen news about their wedding) were there and the physical evidence that was telling exactly that.

˝Could you take a picture of us? With the Castel in the background? ˝Jack asked, indicating him and Kate, who smiled politely to the girl. ˝If you wouldn´t mind. ˝he added after a moment, seeing as the girl was still staring blankly at them.

˝Uhm…s-sure. ˝she said, stepping forward and taking the camera from Jack with someone what shaky hands as her friends gathered around to watch_. This should be interesting_.

She turned the camera on and waited until the pair settled, Kate wrapping her hands around Jack´s waist and him pulling her closer, his arm around her shoulders. Trying her best to stay calm while her insides screamed from excitement, the girl put her finger on the camera´s button, adjusting the frame shortly before saying: ˝Okay, say JIIIIIIIF! ˝

Jack and Kate looked at each other, confused; then, figuring out it was probably some Italian thing, decided to go with it. ˝JIIIIIIIF! ˝

Seeing the flash, Jack and Kate headed back to take the camera, but stopped abruptly as the girl shouted ˝Wait!˝, startling them both.

The girl blushed. ˝I…I meant…I could take another one, if you want. But this time, you have to kiss! ˝she said quickly, causing the couple to look at her blankly.

˝Excuse me?˝ Kate asked, confused.

˝I…uhm…it´s… ˝she looked around, trying to come up with something. ˝It´s a legend. Tradition. ˝she mumbled, ignoring her friends who were cracking up in the background. ˝Yeah, it…it says that whoever kisses on this bridge will…will live happily ever after. ˝she rushed, her mind quickly rewinding all the history names in search of one that would sound ancient enough, in case they asked her who came up with that tradition. Luckily, they _didn´t._

˝Well, I guess…˝Kate started, looking at Jack.

˝Okay then. ˝he replied, leaning forward and catching her lips in a kiss that lasted a bit longer than originally planned. He heard her softly moaning into his mouth and, remembering suddenly that they had audience, slowly pulled away; both of them staring into each other´s eyes for a moment before turning their attention to the girl, who was patiently waiting, a big, heavenly grin adorning her face.

˝Here you go. ˝the girl said, handing him the camera.

˝Grazie. Grazie molto,…˝Jack paused, offering his hand to the girl, who was too astonished with the size of his hand in live to get what he was asking.

˝_Cinzia_, her name is _Cinzia_. ˝one of her friends throw in, grinning.

˝You know, it´s her _birthday_ today. ˝another friend added, grinning even widely.

˝Oh, really? ˝Jack said. ˝Well, happy birthday then, Cinzia. ˝he smiled sweetly, leaning in and pressing a small peck on her cheek.

˝˝Happy b-day. ˝Kate smiled to the girl too. ˝And thank you for the pictures. ˝

And with that, they departed, in search of a restaurant; leaving still stunned Cinzia standing there, mouth open, as she tried to decide which was the fastest way home so she could tell what had just happened to her fellow Jaters

*****

_**Four.**_

They sat in comfortable silence, slowly sipping on their vine as they listened to the small orchestra playing traditional Italian songs, two now empty plates of spaghetti lying in the centre of their table. The restaurant was beautiful: elegant but not too classy, and it had a certain ˝homey˝ feeling to it.

Kate saw Jack slowly nodding to the waiter and the next moment the boy was standing by their table. She took another sip of her vine and curiously watched Jack talking to the waiter. After 3 years of knowing him, that man was still capable of surprising her and she had to admit that hearing him speak Italian (in her opinion, the most beautiful language in the world) was quite a turn on.

She saw the waiter winking at Jack quickly before turning towards her, nodding politely and then retreating. She waited until she was sure he was out of earshot and then asked, intrigued. ˝So…what was all that about? ˝

Jack feigned ignorance. ˝All what? ˝he asked innocently, giving her one of his sweet smiles.

˝That winking and all. ˝

˝Oh, nothing important. ˝he shrugged it off, still smiling.

˝Fine then, don´t tell me. ˝Kate replied, rolling her eyes, but smiling despite of herself. ˝Anyway…since you don´t want to talk about the little surprise you´re more than obviously planning, how about you tell me where did you learn Italian so well? ˝she asked; then added, leaning closer and whispering. ˝´Cause, you know, it´s quite…_sexy_. ˝

Jack chuckled, leaning forward too. ˝Is it really? ˝he asked teasingly, so close now their noses were almost touching. She could feel his breath on her skin now, and she closed her eyes, trying to remind herself how to breathe.

The moment was interrupted by an awkward ˝Ahm!˝ and they quickly pulled away, flushed; looking up at the visibly embarrassed waiter.

˝Signor Shephard, mi scusi, volevo solo dirLe che la Sua canzone sarà pronta per 5 minuti. ˝he quickly mumbled, and Jack smiled.

˝Grazie, Paolo. ˝he thanked him as the boy nodded again at Kate, then retreated.

Kate raised her eyebrow, but Jack just smiled. ˝So…where were we? ˝

˝You were about to tell me where you learned Italian so well. ˝she repeated, never being the one to give up easily.

Jack opened his mouth to answer, but then, wanting to tease her a bit longer, changed his mind and worded it differently. ˝Oh, I knew a girl. Maria was her name. ˝he said; then, seeing her eyes immediately darken, chuckled. ˝She was my _nanny_, Kate. ˝He gave her a ˝Got ya!˝ smile; then turned serious again, his eyes becoming pensive. ˝My parents were always too busy with their work and parties, so I was practically raised by nannies. ˝

She smiled sadly, putting her hand on his. ˝I´m sorry.˝

Jack smiled. ˝Don´t be. Maria was like a grandma to me. She would teach me her language, tell me stories and legends about her native country, and sing me songs. By the time I was 8, I was already almost fluent in Italian. ˝

She watched him talking about his nanny with so much love in his voice, and she felt herself falling for him even more.

˝She never had children of her own, so I was like a son to her. ˝he finished, then, glancing at something behind her, added. ˝But, we don't have time to talk about Maria right now. ˝

Kate looked around confused. ˝Why not? ˝

˝Because…˝ he said, putting down his glass just as the soft tunes of some Italian melody started echoing through the hall.

_A te che sei l´unica al mondo__, l´unica ragione, per arrivare fino in fondo ad ogni mio respiro..._

She watched him get up from his chair, cross the table and come to stand in front of her. Offering her his hand, he asked, softly, his eyes focused on her and her only and his lips stretched into a small smile. ˝Would you? ˝

She looked at him for a moment, taking in the music, the atmosphere, the way he was looking at her and finding herself overwhelmed with the love she was feeling for this man; then took his hand and let him pull her up.

Holding her hand gently in his; he slowly led her across the hall, stopping as they reached the dance podium. He wrapped his arm around her waist and she put her hand on his chest, holding on to him as he led their way, twirling them around in the rhythm of the song.

_A te che sei, semplicemente sei, sostanza dei giorni miei, sostanza dei sogni miei..._

The room was dimmed, the lights of the candles making his eyes look ever softer than usual and she felt her eyes watering. ˝Thank you. ˝she managed to choke out, pressing a soft kiss on the spot on his neck before leaning her head down on his shoulder. _It had been a long day and she was exhausted; this being the perfect end of the last day of their honeymoon. _

˝You´re welcome. ˝he replied, kissing the top of her head. ˝Now…close your eyes and relax. ˝he instructed, and she happily obliged; his shoulder being the most comfortable pillow she could possibly imagine.

He felt her body going limp in his arms and tightened a bit the grip he had on her; then, bringing his lips next to her ear, started to translate the lyrics for her, his voice soft and sweet. ˝_For you, who are the only friend I could ever have…The only love I would want if you weren't with me…for you, who made my life so beautiful…_ ˝

*****

_**Five.**_

She was standing on the river boat; leaning against the fence and watching the city go by. _She was feeling weird: not exactly sad, but somewhat nostalgic. She missed Aaron and she couldn´t wait to hear his little voice again, but at the same time, she didn´t want to leave this city; didn't want this fairytale to end._

She heard the sound of his footsteps and the next moment was greeted with two strong arms wrapping around her waist.

˝Hey. You okay? ˝he asked, pressing a soft kiss on her shoulder.

She turned around, placing her hands on his chest. ˝Yeah. It´s just that… I´m gonna miss all this. ˝she replied quietly, absent-mindedly playing with the buttons of his shirt.

˝Yeah, me too. ˝he said; gently tilting her chin up; then added: ˝But, we can always go again. ˝

She smiled, kissing him softly; then turned around again. He wrapped his arms around her, and for a few minutes, neither of them spoke, listening to Eros Ramazzotti´s song playing in the background and just enjoying the evening and the beauty of the scenery in front of them. Embraced, they watched the illuminated city pass by: Castello Sant´Angelo, Ponte Umberto, Palazzo di Giustizia, …

˝It´s so beautiful, isn´t it? ˝

˝Yeah. ˝he replied quietly.

He felt he shudder slightly and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. ˝Cold? ˝

˝A bit. ˝

He took a step back, taking off his jacket and then putting it on her shoulders. She smiled. _Always the gentleman._

˝Thanks. ˝

He said nothing, but pressed a soft kiss at the back of her head; then wrapped his arms around her. She leaned her head back on his chest, closing her eyes, her body relaxing completely, as he brought his lips close to her ear, and, in a voice soften than a whisper, joined with the melody playing in the background: ˝_Più bella cosa non c´è...di te…Grazie d´esistere._ ˝

___________________________

Now go blow those candles and make a wish for more spoiler details ;)

p.s. I´m not sure if this needs to be put or not, but, just to be safe, disclaimer: the lyrics used aren´t mine (DUH!) – they´re from songs _A te_ (Jiovanotti) and _Più bella cosa_ (Eros Ramazzotti).

A/N: As for the rest of you, I know I haven´t been updating much, but now that summer and exams period is over, I promise to write more. Please R&R :)


	33. Chapter 33

Just a little something written for my dear friend on LF. Happy b-day, hun!

_____________

He was bent above the makeshift bed inside the beach's improvised infirmary, checking the supplies and making sure he got every single one written down on his list when he heard the sound of the footsteps behind.

˝Hey, Jack, do you have a second? ˝he heard her voice and turned around, smile reflexively lightening up his face at the sight of her.

˝Hey. ˝he said, his fingers immediately going to her cheek to check the angry scratches she´d got on the trek the other day. ˝Do they hurt? ˝he asked, concerned.

She smiled. _Always the worrier._ ˝Nothing I can´t survive. ˝she said, and he smiled too, their eyes locking for a moment too long.

˝Ahm. ˝he heard someone say from behind and he quickly averted his gaze; only then noticing that a very giggly Claire, Charlie and Hurley were standing behind her. _Something was fishy there._

˝Uhm…what´s going o…˝he started, but was interrupted by Kate pointing at something behind his back.

˝Look, isn´t that Boone trying to…˝she said, and he fell for it; the split second he turned his head sideways to look at where she was pointing enough for her to achieve her goal.

He felt something metal wrap itself around his wrists, followed by an audible click; and he quickly turned around, but the damage had already been done and, bewildered, he looked down at his hands, that were now bind by Marshall´s handcuffs.

˝Kate, what…what are you doing? ˝he asked, confused, looking up to find her grinning at him. Sun and Claire laughed too, and he could swear he heard the baby laughing at him too.

˝Kidnapping you, of course. ˝she said matter-of-factly, raising her eyebrows playfully.

He shook his head, smiling. ˝Kate, come on… you can´t be serious. ˝he said, feeling quite stupid standing there. He didn't want to turn around to check, but he was sure the eyes of all the survivors were following that scene.

She grinned wickedly. ˝And indeed I am. ˝She could almost see the wheels in his head turning, listing all the reasons why he couldn´t go; so she added, turning serious. ˝You need to relax, Jack. The whole week you´ve been doing the beach-caves, caves-beach route, making sure everyone is fine and no one else gets sick. You´re exhausted, sleep-deprived and your body _and_ mind need a break. ˝

˝Kate… Not that I´m ungrateful for your attention and all, but… I can´t leave. Half of the people are still sick, Aaron´s running a fever, Jane broke her leg, Scott´s got a bad rash and Missy´s…˝he started listing, but she cut him off quickly:

˝Claire gave me the green light to go through with this; Jane can lie down one day, Scott´s a hypochondriac who mistakes a little scratch of poison ivy for live-threatening disease and as for Missy, you know very well that she´s perfectly fine but has hots for you so she comes every week with a different disease just so she could be close to you. ˝she said in one breath, the pang of jealousy in her tone at the last one catching his attention and making him chuckle for a moment, before turning serious again.

˝But…˝

˝Come on, Jack, they´re all big boys and girls, I´m sure they´ll manage one afternoon without you. Plus, what I have planned for you is much more fun than staying here. ˝she said wickedly, raising an eyebrow.

˝Oooooh! ˝Hurley and Charlie immediately joined, making smooch sounds and whistling; but were instantly shut by the look Kate gave them.

˝Shut up, boys. ˝

Jack laughed; then looked at her for a couple of seconds, finally giving up and raising his cuffed hands in surrender. ˝You´re the boss. ˝

She flashed him a grin; then took hold of the cuffs and pulled on them. ˝Then let´s go. ˝

Jack shrugged his shoulders and let her drag him, nodding as they passed Claire, Charlie and Hurley. ˝

˝We´ll be back late, so don´t wait up on us. ˝Kate said to Claire.

Charlie opened him mouth to comment, but…

˝Don´t. ˝Kate warned him, rising up her finger, her back turned to him; and then she disappeared behind the bushes, Jack following behind.

˝How did she know I was going to say something? ˝Charlie asked, confused, and Hurley just shrugged his shoulders, bewildered as his friend. Claire shook her head in disbelief. _Boys_.

********

˝If your intention was to make me hike across the whole island, then I don´t think that qualifies as ´resting´. ˝Jack said jokingly, after they´d spent the last 20 minutes trekking through the jungle; her surprisingly seeming as if she knew where she was going, while to him it all looked the same.

˝Haha, very funny. ˝she said, rolling her eyes, but actually smiling. Ever since they left the beach, he´d tried a couple of times to find out where they were heading, but without success.

He smiled. _He would never admit it, of course, but he was actually enjoying this, to be alone with her._

˝Okay, so since you obviously won´t tell me where we´re going, can I at least have these taken off? ˝he asked, lifting his cuffed hands.

˝I don´t know. Claire´s right – you do kinda look sexy in them. ˝she teased, flashing him a grin; and he smiled, giving her a look

˝Kate. ˝

She stopped and turned to face him. ˝Fine. But you need to promise you won´t try to get back as soon as you´re free. ˝

˝Hey, I don´t think I´d know to go back even if I wanted to. ˝he said, looking around at the forest of leaves surrounding them.

She giggled; then pulled out a key from her pocket and set him free. ˝There you go. Plus, you won´t need to wait any longer, we´re here. ˝she said, spreading the bushes and revealing an entrance to a sandy path that led to a small, secluded beach.

She took off her shoes and stepped on the sand and he followed her lead, the feeling of silky dust underneath his feet having almost therapeutic effect when compared to rough soil of the jungle.

˝When did you manage to prepare all of this? ˝he asked in amazement, looking around at the picnic basket than laid on a blue blanket spread across the sand; framed by two torches that were casting a warm, familiar light on the place they were standing on.

˝A magician never reveals her secrets. ˝she said jokingly as she placed herself down; and he laughed, joining her.

They spent the next few hours relaxing: eating, talking, lying down and watching the clouds pass, trying to guess their shape. Before they knew it, the day was at its end and the sun was slowly starting to go down.

They were sitting now, their arms on their knees, their shoulders touching; as they silently watched the colors reflect on the surface of the sea.

˝Kate…˝he said, and she turned to look at him. ˝What are we doing here? ˝

She smiled at him. ˝Relaxing. ˝she said simply; then turned her attention back to the ocean.

Jack chuckled; then turned serious again.

˝No, I meant…what are we _really_ doing here? ˝he asked and this time she didn´t look away. The moment was ideal, the sunset and the sound of the waves adding to the magic of the scene; and they slowly started to lean in; but before anything could happen, a seagull flew over them, making a screechy sound and it was enough to break the spell. They quickly pulled apart, neither saying anything, and there was that awkward silence that lasted only a few moments; even though, to them, it seemed eternity.

˝So, uhm…you said you had to show me something? ˝Jack said after a couple of minutes, to break the silence.

Her face immediately lit up and he caught a mischievous flicker in her eyes before she kneeled and turned to face him.

˝Close your eyes. ˝she said, and, surprisingly, he obeyed. She smiled; the got up and went to retrieve something she had hidden earlier that day.

He smiled as he heard the sound of her footsteps as she ran back, squatting down behind him. ˝No peeking. ˝she warned; stretching out her arms above his shoulders, so that the thing she was holding was in front of him. ˝Okay, you ready?.....Open. ˝

He opened his eyes and first surprise, then a smile crossed his face. In her hands, she was holding a small, round cake – more like cupcake, actually; with a little candle in the middle.

˝How…how did you know? ˝he finally managed; turning his head sideways, so their faces were almost touching.

She chuckled at his reaction, happy that she managed to surprise him; then replied: ˝I peeked at the passengers list when Hurley wasn´t watching. ˝she said and he chuckled. _Of course she did. _

She put the cake in his hands and got up, placing herself next to him. He smiled and shook his head; then went to split the cake.

˝Wait!˝ she yelled, making him jump slightly. ˝You need to make a wish first. ˝she said, and for a moment, he could imagine her as a child, her eyes flashing with excitement.

He smiled and humored her, closing his eyes and making a wish; then opening them again and blowing the candle. He then split the cake (making sure she gets the bigger piece) and offered her half. She took it gratefully and they enjoyed it in silence, watching the sun sink into the horizon.

He looked at her, genuinely touched by all the effort she put into this. ˝You´re really one of a kind, you know that? ˝he said softly; and he could swear he saw her face blush, despite the increasing darkness surrounding them.

Kate smiled and leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on his cheek before pulling back again. ˝Happy birthday, Jack. ˝

____________

p.s. Does anyone have any request?


	34. Chapter 34

Just a little Easter-ish something I wrote today…

**Easter Surprises**

She was awoken by feather-light kisses starting on her stomach and climbing up her body. She squirmed, her brain still trapped somewhere between dreams and reality. Jack smiled, his lips continuing to trail up her body: above her navel, through the valley between her breasts, finally stopping on her collarbone, gently sucking on the soft skin.

˝Mmmm...˝ Kate mumbled, stretching her arms, her lips spreading into a smile as she felt his mouth climb up her neck and then gently nibble on her chin. She opened her eyes and was met with his smiling eyes, looking at her as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world. She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, till he was right above her, their noses touching.

˝That was a nice way to wake up. ˝she said sweetly. He offered her his cutest smile; then leaned down and placed his lips on hers, giving her a tender kiss before pulling back again. ˝Morning. ˝

˝Morning. ˝she replied; then pulled him in for another kiss, her fingers softly caressing the back of his neck.

The kiss soon turned into something more, passion and desire colliding; their tongues now dueling for control, hungry for more of what tasted like heaven. They continued to kiss until the need to breathe became too big to ignore anymore and, reluctantly, they pulled away; keeping their foreheads together.

˝Looks like someone´s a bit horny today. ˝Kate teased, throwing him a loop-sided grin and making her even more irresistible to him.

He looked into her eyes. ˝For you, babe, always. ˝he said; then swallowed her mouth in his again, leaving her no time to respond.

Their kisses became more fervent, tongues dancing in harmony, hands roaming across the skin, breathing becoming ragged. His lips left hers for a moment, travelling a big south and greedily latching onto the soft flesh right below her collarbone, making her moan and close her eyes; then went back, attacking her mouth again as she wrapped her hands even tighter around his neck, pulling him in even closer, if that was possible. The desire overtook all of their senses, all coherent thoughts leaving their brains, to please and to be pleased becoming the most important thing in the world and the only one both of them could focus on.

That is…until they were interrupted by a small knock, followed by a very impatient voice of a 3 year old: Mummy! Jack? Are you awake? We have eggs to pain!

Jack groaned; pulling away from her lips and letting his head fall down on her chest, in defeat. ˝You gotta be kiddin´ me. ˝

Kate giggled and placed a small kiss on the top of his head. ˝You think he´ll give up if we pretend we´re sleeping? ˝she whispered, already knowing the answer to that one.

˝Mummy? Jack? ˝Aaron repeated, never the one to give up easily. ˝Come on…you said we´ll paint eggs the filst thing in the molning. ˝

˝Just a second, bud, I´ll be right over. ˝Jack called out, propping himself on his elbows and looking down at her. ˝You think he´s doing this on purpose? ˝he asked, half joking, half serious; making her giggle.

˝Yeah, Jack, there´s a whole conspiracy to interrupt us all the time. ˝she replied, rolling her eyes and giving him a small peck on the lips.

˝Wouldn´t surprise me. ˝he said; giving her one last, long kiss and then rolling off of her; sliding down from the bed and pulling on his sweatpants above his boxers. ˝I´ll go make us something for breakfast and entertain Interruptus Man there while you take a shower. ˝he offered sweetly and she giggled, blowing him a kiss.

He grinned; then turned around to open the door; finding Aaron standing right in front, clutching his whale and jumping up and down from excitement. Jack bent down to pick him up. ˝You know… considering that brother you want so badly, you´re doing one heck of a job to auto-obstacle your wish. ˝he said jokingly, picking him up and sneaking in a small kiss before placing him on his hip. ˝Come on, let´s get some breakfast. ˝

Kate heard his comment and giggled, sinking back into the pillows and letting out a happy sigh before forcing herself to finally get out of the bed.

*******

She found them both in the kitchen: Jack moving around the room, making pancakes; Aaron sitting on the counter, still in his Sponge Bob jammies, passing him ingredients and chatting excitedly; the sight of them making her heart swell and her lips spread into an unconscious smile.

˝How does Easter Bunny manage to hide all those eggs in one night? How old is he? Was he always here, like…even in dinosauls times? ˝…

She heard him firing a bunch of questions at Jack, and she bit back a laugh; deciding to just remain there and not reveal her presence, wanting to see how Jack would get himself out.

˝Wow, buddy, slow down, it´s still too early for my brain. ˝Jack said, rubbing his forehead, not too happy with the fact that the boy was apparently entering the dreaded 1001 question phase. ˝One question at a time. ˝

Aaron considered it for a moment; then, finally deciding on which question to ask first, added: ˝Does he have reindeers and sleigh like Santa? ˝

Jack chuckled at the visualization of that. ˝No, uhm… he…he has a carrot carriage and, uhm…little duckies that pull it. ˝he blurted out, not really sure where he got the idea from.

˝A callot calliage? ˝Aaron asked, confused. ˝How come he doesn´t eat it? ˝he asked, and Jack cursed himself silently for not having thought about that.

˝Uhm, he…it´s a magical carriage. ˝he finally said, deciding that magic should be enough of explanation. Aaron seemed to be happy with the reply, and Jack smiled. ˝Buddy, pass me the maple syrup, please. ˝he said, and Aaron was happy to do it, enjoying his Jack time.

˝Does he know Santa? ˝he asked, making Jack confused for a second.

˝Does who know Santa? ˝

˝Eastel Bunny. ˝Aaron replied, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

Kate giggled, not able to resist anymore. Jack looked up.

˝Oh, look, Aaron, seems like Mummy finally decided to join us. ˝he said, going around the counter and kissing her tenderly, his eyes smiling at her.

Kate smiled back; then went to give Aaron a kiss. ˝Hey, sweetie, what´s up? Jack listening to you? ˝she asked, making him giggle and then nod. Kate smiled and ruffled his hair; then grabbed a cup of coffee and went to sit on the chair facing them.

˝So, Jack…does he know Santa? ˝Aaron asked again.

˝Uhm…yeah, once a year they…they organize a party and they meet, to talk about nice and naughty kids. ˝he said. ˝Tooth Fairy joins them too. ˝he added, winking at Kate and making them both giggle.

He set the pan down on the table and placed himself next to Aaron, putting a couple of pancakes in front of the boy and helping him cut them. Kate watched him doing that simple task and felt her eyes watering a bit, having him with them meaning so much to her that she couldn't imagine her life any other way.

They had a simple family breakfast, chatting about egg hunt, Easter Bunny and their plans for the day. They decided to leave the egg painting for later in the afternoon, wanting to get the most of the beautiful day that finally arrived, after a week of mostly clouds and rain. They went to the nearby park with Aaron, played catch, had picnic, played on the swings and participated in the egg hunt their neighborhood organized every year. They returned home later than they had planned to, and now all three of them were sitting around the kitchen table, paint, wet cloths, brushes and eggs scattered all over the table as they assisted Aaron in making his; this being the first Easter Aaron was old enough to be aware of the tradition and excited about it.

Suddenly, paint spilled all over the table and Kate got up to grab the cloth from the sink to wipe it off. Aaron was in his usual questions mood, and she listened to Jack patiently replying to them – or trying to reply - making her fall for him even more. They were all munching on some snacks – Aaron kneeling on his chair, propped on the table with his hands – when he suddenly brought up THE question:

˝Jack, whele do babies come flom? ˝he asked, making them both almost choke on their food.

Kate recovered first, but the perplexed look on Jack´s face was too amusing to let the opportunity slip, so she bit her tongue and waited for him to reply.

˝W-what? ˝Jack finally blurted, finally managing to swallow his food.

˝Whele do babies come flom? ˝Aaron repeated, oblivious to Jack´s embarrassment.

˝I, uhm…they…they come from mummy´s tummy. ˝he finally managed, blush starting to color his cheeks.

˝I knooow, but how do they end up thele? ˝

˝Yeah, Jack, how do they end up there? ˝Kate joined, raising her eyebrows as she grinned at him.

Jack looked up at her. Her chin was resting on her knuckles and she had that familiar teasing sparkle in her eyes, and, from the look of it, seemed like she was enjoying this very much. He threw her a sarcastic ´thanks for helping me on this´ look; then turned his attention back to the boy.

˝Well, uhm….when Mummy and Daddy love each other very much, then they…uhm…they hug and kiss and uhm… and there are also bees and birds, and they…uhm…love is in the air, and then…and then there´s a stork who brings the baby and…˝he trailed off, not really sure where he was going with that; his face scarlet red.

Kate´s shoulders were shaking from silent laughter, finding him more adorable than ever. She looked at Aaron and the confused look on his face; thing she immediately realized wasn´t the best decision, considering it was harder to control the laughter.

˝…and that´s how babies are made. ˝Jack finished lamely, more confused than the boy, if that was possible.

Knowing she´d have to intervene if she didn't want to pay Aaron therapy for years of confusion when he´s older, she got up, went around the table and picked the boy up. ˝Come on, buddy, how about we go brush our teeth and let Jack recover himself? ˝she said teasingly, throwing him a cute grin. ˝I´ll explain it to you after the bedtime story. ˝

With Aaron on her hip, she went towards Jack; leaned Aaron down so he could kiss him Goodnight; then leaned down herself and gave him a long, soft kiss. ˝This is sooooo a story for our grandkids. ˝she threatened teasingly, kissing the tip of his nose and then walking out of the room, leaving Jack sitting there with ´What-the-heck-just-happened?!´ expression on his face.

*******

She walked into the bedroom to find him sitting on the bed, propped against the pillow, aimlessly flipping through the channels. Sensing her presence, he looked up, his lips stretching into a smile.

˝He out? ˝he asked, turning off the TV and setting the remote back on the nightstand.

˝Yeah. ˝she said, crossing the distance between them and coming to stand in front of him.

Jack pulled himself up and came to sit on the side of the bed, his feet touching the ground. ˝So? ˝he said, wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her closer.

˝So? ˝she repeated, smiling.

˝How did THE talk go? ˝he asked, apprehensively.

˝Fine. I told him that, when mummy and daddy want a baby, their love grows even stronger and from that love a baby is born. ˝she said simply, putting her hands on his shoulders.

˝And that´s it? ˝Jack asked, amazed; the sincerity and surprise in his voice making her laugh. ˝He had no other questions? ˝

Kate smiled. ˝Well, he did want to know if, when he gets a brother, he´ll be allowed to name him Sponge Bob, ˝she giggled, ˝but other than that, nope. ˝

˝Wow, you´re really great in this whole mummy thing. ˝he said, amazed.

Kate blushed slightly and smiled, finding the look of pure admiration on his face too irresistible, so she leaned down, found his eyes, whispered a silent Thank you and then kissed him, hoping to show him with the kiss how much his words meant to her.

Jack kissed her back; then slowly pulled away, his hands still around her waist. ˝Then again, my story wasn't that bad either, right? ˝he said, trying to stay serious, but the twitching of the corners of his lips giving him away.

Kate started laughing. ˝Jack, please…listening to you ˝explaining˝ it to him, even_ I_ started to doubt you know how babies are made. ˝she teased, giggling.

Jack bit back a smile. ˝Oh, yeah? ˝he said, pulling her closer. ˝Well, how ´bout I show you then? ˝he said, flipping her on her back, making her gasp in surprise and then burst into a fit of giggles; until his mouth swallowed hers hungrily and made her forget about everything else…expect of how babies are made. :eyebrows:

(And the jexxed happily ever after. :p)

_______

Happy (belated) Easter to everyone who celebrates it and, to those who don't, Happy…uhm…Evie´s Amazing Interview´s Day? :D

p.s. I read all your requests and I promise to get each of them done – but it´ll take some time because work&college are crazy right now. :( But I already started working on some of them, so, hopefully, they´ll be up soon ;)

Tnx for reading and please R&R ;)


	35. Chapter 35

Thanks for the reviews, guys. *hugs* I still haven´t forgotten about your requests (they´re probably coming out in May), but I had this cute little idea that just wouldn´t let me go, so I had to give it a shot. It´s dedicated to Nille from LF.

p.s. It´s set after that short but sweet jate reunion in ELH. ;)

_**Home**_

˝Hey.˝ he said quietly and she looked up, giving him the sweetest smile.

˝Hey.˝

˝Here. You should eat something. ˝he said, offering her a bowl of oatmeal.

˝Thanks. ˝she said, smiling. _Always the worrier._

He smiled too, placing himself down next to her.

For a moment, none of them spoke; looking in front of themselves.

˝Is the oatmeal good? ˝Jack asked, trying to break the silence.

˝Uhm...yeah. Yeah, it´s good. ˝she replied, and the silence fell down again, both of them knowing the oatmeal wasn´t what they wanted to talk about.

Kate took another spoon, swallowed, then asked quietly: ˝So...did you find it?˝

Jack looked at her, confused: ˝Did I find what? ˝

˝What you were looking for. ˝she said quietly, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Jack smiled, looking in front of himself, then turning back to her: his eyes locking with hers before he finally said: ˝Maybe. ˝

He kept his gaze on her for a moment too long, looking at her with that dazed expression in his eyes; the expression that looked way too familiar, reminding her of lazy Sunday mornings and tender hallway kisses.

She looked down, feeling her cheeks blush; thousands of butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Jack looked down too, a small smile flickering on his lips. He didn´t know what would happen between them in the future, but, for now, he was just happy to be in her company again.

˝So...˝ he started after a while, causing her to look up. ˝...things are a bit crazy on this side of the island, huh? ˝

Kate laughed. ˝Understatament of the year. ˝she said, making him chuckle lightly too. ˝Locke, or whoever he is, Sayid, Claire... ˝she began, sounding sad and tired, smile quickly leaving her lips. ˝...I...I dont even know what to think anymore. ˝

He looked up at her, studing her face.

˝I came her so I could bring her to Aaron and now...now I dont even know I want her close to him. ˝she said, her voice breaking down.

Jack reached out, putting his hand on her shoulder. ˝Hey...it´s gonna be okay. ˝he said, trying to comfort her. ˝I dont know how, but...we´ll figure something out together, okay? ˝

His words were comforting, and she felt a little smile appearing on her lips despite tears. She shooked her head, smiling. _He always knew how to make her feel better._ ˝Yeah. ˝she said and nodded, wiping away the tears with the back of her sleeve and then returning to stare at the ocean in front, trying to get herself in control.

Jack studied her face in the light of the fire, noticing exactly how tired and stressed out she was.

˝You look tired. ˝he stated quietly.

Kate smiled. ˝Yeah, I... I haven´t been sleeping much lately. Too many crazies out there to be able to relax. ˝she said, trying to sell it as a joke, but he knew her well enough to know it was truth.

He studied her for a moment, then finally said: ˝Come here. ˝

˝What? ˝ she asked, startled.

He bit back a smile; and instead said, his tone serious: ˝You need sleep, Kate, you´re exhausted. I´m fine, so I´ll keep an eye on the crazies while you get some sleep, okay? ˝

She looked at him, debating with herself her choice. The situation between them was already more than complicated, and she was afraid that, if she let him close again, she would end up hurt...once again. And she wasn´t sure she could take it. But, at the same time, he was right: she was exhausted and the thought of his welcoming arms wrapped around her sounded more than perfect.

Finally, heart won over brain and she scooted in front of him, sitting down and leaning back against his chest, letting out a content sigh as her back relaxed into a familiar territory. He wrapped his arms around her and she tried one last time to fight against of what all her instincts were telling her.

˝Jack...˝she tried feebly, but he cut her off, his voice tender.

˝Shhhh...We´ll talk tomorrow, now just close your eyes and relax, okay? ˝he whispered.

His breath was warm against her ear, his voice soft, the warmth of his body and the familiar comfort it provided feeling too good to resist anymore, and she found herself nodding, closing her eyes and allowing her muscles to go soft in his arms; the burden that she had been carrying on her shoulders for the past couple of days finally dissapearing.

Jack watched her struggle with her consciousness for a while, amused; and then finally give up, her head falling on the upper part of his arm. And as he felt her body going completely flex in his arms, he knew he had, indeed, foung what he was looking for.

_He was home._

_________

p.s. I know, not my best, but RL has been really stressful lately and I dont have much time for writing, so I try to sneak in the little time I have between college and work. And writing while driving in the bus isn´t exactly the most inspiring enviroment *giggle*


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